Packing books when moving your house or storing them for longer terms is not as simple a task as it may seem. You may end up bending them or causing other permanent damage to the covers and pages. Furthermore, most people discard the fact that books are heavy objects when densely packed in a box. Hence, they overfill the boxes, resulting in torn pages, bent and dented spines and damaged corners.
It is important to understand the right way to pack your books to avoid damage. We will guide you step-by-step in preparing your books for moving and long-term storage. Let’s begin our journey.
There are a bunch of materials and supplies that you should gather before starting packing. They include the following:
Next, you must sort your books into different categories before packing them. You can also separate the books that you don’t need anymore for selling and donating. You can also give these books to your friends or neighbours once you have selected the books that you want to pack.
Make sure to clean any dust or residue thoroughly. Wipe them gently with a soft cloth and clean them. After that, sort your books based on their types. You can separate books with paperback, hardback and antique.
Selecting the boxes is where most people make mistakes. Although it is natural to be tempted to choose the largest box and fill it up with books, this will end up in an extremely heavy box that will become difficult to move. It is recommended that small- to medium-sized boxes be chosen and filled up to three-quarters.
Make sure the box you select is sturdy and capable of handling the heavy weight of books. You can go for triple-walled boxes that are custom-designed for books. Once you have selected the box, add a layer of bubble wrap or packing paper to provide a cushioned base for your books.
Finally, it is time to pack your books. This part is a little tricky. There are different techniques for different book types that you must keep in mind. Do not mix up paperback and hardback books together. Here are the tips to pack different book types in the box:
Once you have packed your books and sealed the box. You can add labels that will tell you which books are inside the box. You should also add “Handle with Care” and “Fragile” labels to the boxes to ensure they are carefully handled during the process.
Packing your books for long-term storage demands extra precautions as long-term storage can cause several damages to your books, such as:
To pack your books for storage, you can use the above-mentioned method with some additional precautions, which are listed below:
Keep in mind that stored books are vulnerable to environmental factors, such as moisture, temperature and pests. These factors can cause damage to the books.
Rodents can chew the pages and cause irreversible damage to books. Make sure to choose boxes or containers that are resistant to their ever-growing incisors.
As you are storing the boxes for longer periods, you must provide additional structural support to these boxes. You can also go for a metal or plastic container.
If you are packing a large number of books, always follow the spine-down rule. Stack your books in a way that their spine is facing the bottom of the box and the pages are facing upward.
Keeping the boxes on the floor will add the risk of water intrusion, resulting in severe damage to your books. Make sure you use a shelf or table to stack your boxes.
Do not overpack your books in a single box. Rather, use multiple boxes to facilitate easy transportation and stacking.
Ready to make your move? Contact Central Removals today for a free, no-obligation quote. Our friendly team is here to answer any questions you may have and to help you start planning your move.
Below are some additional tips that you can follow while packing your books.
Books are fragile items that can be damaged if handled without proper care. However, following the techniques that we have described in the blog post can help you minimise the damage from moving or storing your books. For professional insights, you can contact Central Removals.
