Damaging your precious, expensive artwork can be as painful as any other physical pain, and only an art connoisseur would understand this. If you are one of those and are planning to transport your fine art, you’ve landed on the right blog.
This brief yet effective guide will help you understand the steps involved in moving your artworks. Here’s an 8-step guide to move all the expensive canvases with priceless art that you’re planning to move with assistance from home movers in Singapore.
Read on to ensure that all the framed art can be moved intact, and don’t risk damaging your artwork by choosing the cheapest movers in Singapore you find first on the internet.
Create A Condition Report And Inventory
First and foremost, before you start packing, you need to document the condition of each of the frames and canvases. Take high-definition pictures of all the fine arts you plan to move. Make note of any existing scratches, erosion, or dents.
This way, you can establish a baseline for the insurance claims and verify the condition of your artwork after delivery. Also, you can preserve the details if there’s any assembling or special setup required for reassembling the artwork.
Gather Specialised Packing Material
Do not wrap and pack away your art pieces in a standard wrap or, worse, a newspaper. Doing this can permanently damage the artwork by transferring the paint onto the wrapping material. Instead, buy specialised packing materials for your precious paintings.
You’d need acid-free wrapping paper, or using glassine paper is even better. Get heavy-duty cardboard boxes or custom wooden crates, corner protectors, bubble wrap, cushioning material, and a bigger double-walled corrugated cardboard box to store all the paintings together.
Wrap The Canvas/Artwork
Gently dust the artwork using a soft cloth. Wrap the piece in acid-free glassine paper to create a moisture-resistant barrier that protects against Singapore’s tropical humidity. Secure the paper using standard tape without letting the tape touch the artwork itself.
If you are moving with assistance from home movers in Singapore, you can leave this task to them; if you are using a porter service, follow up. Get any dust off the artwork with a gentle brush or a soft cloth.
Wrap the piece in an acid-free glassine paper. It will create a moisture-resistant layer over it to protect against Singapore’s humid weather. Secure the wrapping paper using standard tape and ensure it doesn’t get directly on the frame, as the adhesive can chip off the paint.
Protect The Frames And Corners
If you are moving the art pieces attached to the canvas, then this step comes first before the wrapping. Otherwise, if the frames are kept separately, you may do so. You need to protect the corners and glass of the frame.
Use corner protectors to cover the corners and prevent them from damage during the move. Also, tape an ‘X’ across the glass attached to the frame to prevent it from moving too much and getting cracked or broken during transit.
Add Cushioning Material
Shock absorbers are a very important part of packing the expensive artwork. Even the cheapest movers in Singapore use a double-layer wrapping. So, don’t be miser and get plenty of bubble wrap and packing peanuts.
When you are done wrapping with glassine and putting on corner protectors, wrap the artwork and the frames twice with bubble wrap. The technique is to wrap it once with the bubbles facing outwards and the second layer with the bubbles facing inwards.
This creates an entire layer of air bubbles cushioning the artwork. After the bubble wrap, add packing peanuts to the bigger box that you’re using to box all the paintings together. Put cushioning material at the top and at the bottom.
Use Custom Boxes And Crates
Put the art pieces into a double-corrugated box or custom-built wooden storage crate. Keep the painting upright on its edge rather than flat. This way, the pressure can be better absorbed, and the paintings won’t be damaged easily.
Fill any space with paper chunks or with styrofoam packing peanuts; this will prevent the artwork from moving too much during transit.
Put Concise And Clear Labels
After you are done taping the box closed, put labels on it. Add the label to more than one side so that it is visible, and even if one of them chips off, the other comes in handy. You can buy pre-designed labels online or make custom ones yourself.
Use a label maker with waterproof paper to make your own labels. Include details such as “Fragile”, “This Side Up” or specific artwork number on it. When you line the artwork, add separating foam between each painting while packing them.
Hire Specialised Handlers
For moving your expensive artwork, you need experienced professionals. Poor handling can result in great financial loss and emotional distress, so do not risk it. In Singapore, several movers offer specialised services to transport fine arts.
Specialised moving services use air-ride, climate-controlled, and GPS-tracked trucks to prevent wrapping, cracking or vibration damage. Therefore, it’s better to leave the artwork in their hands.
In A Nutshell
When moving an artwork, you may feel it can be done in a breeze as they are easy to handle and pack. But the actual liability involved in moving such limited, expensive art pieces is huge. So, it’s always better to hire home movers in Singapore to move your fine arts.
It is a better option to move the priceless pieces that you’ve collected over the years. Also, if you only have a few pieces to move, this guide will come in handy the next time you move.
