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Antique, decorative, and vintage items are often passed down from generation to generation. Pieces purchased from an auction house have a high monetary value associated with them. Regardless of how they were acquired, the age of the pieces, their link to cultural history and their uniqueness makes them valuable. It is important to provide care and attention to how antiques are stored and transported, particularly when moving from one place to another. The selling price of these antiques – should you wish to sell them in the future – will depend on how they are stored and preserved. Sunlight can cause fading, discoloration, and cracking of antiques, paintings, and decorations. Store them away from direct sunlight to protect them. Here are the tips for storing your antiques.
Storing these precious works requires extra care to ensure that the paintings, canvases, and frames do not suffer any damage. It is always advisable to store antiques in self storage units. Even if you use a self-storage facility to store your antiques, there are precautions that you must consider. We offer here crucial advice to guide you on how to store and transport these valuables without harming them.
1. Know and understand the risks involved
When trying to transport art material and antiques, there are risks involved, like:
- Breakage and impact,
- Tears,
- Smudges,
- Loose and missing parts
- Damage through skin contact
- Stains and marks from domestic chemicals or food
- Damage from direct heat like sunlight or moisture
Self Storage is an excellent option as the different units are usually devoid of sunlight and direct heat so you can store your priceless objects with ease. Managing them yourselves also ensures that the number of hands your valuables pass through is limited. The key is to exercise maximum precaution when around these exquisite materials.
2. Adopt the following steps while packing
- Minimize human contact
This is the first step that you can take to protect your paintings, antiques, and other artwork. Create a barrier between you and the antiques while packing, like wearing gloves.
- Wrap-up in plastic
Use plastic wrappers to wrap the paintings and antiques. Such cling films will help to protect the finish and surface of the antiques and keep them clean. Fragile items and antiques with mirrors should be wrapped carefully with protective wrapping like bubble wrap. To have a higher level of security and safety, use Styrofoam packing and boxes.
- Use small boxes
Place the well-wrapped antiques and paintings in a close-fitting box of cardboard. Try to use appropriately sized boxes to avoid damage due to in-transit shaking. If you do not want to use boxes, opt for a cardboard sheet covering. You can also use specially designed boxes available in the market for packing large paintings and fragile items. You could use these boxes available for storing antique lamps, historical clothing, paintings, and other hard-to-pack valuable items. Mark “fragile” to caution others.
- Prefer dense packing material
The thick packing material will ensure that there are no empty spaces left. You could also take the help of bubble-wrap and avoid the bouncing of jars and heavy materials while on the go. After ensuring no empty spaces exist, seal the entire box with packing tape.
3. Transport the antiques with care
Once you have successfully packed all your antiques, paintings, and decorations, transporting them is the next big task. Make sure to store them vertically as laying them flat would increase the chances of them rolling over and falling. Laying your pieces flat, also prevents the valuables from tipping over and collapsing under their weight. If you must arrange your artwork flat, slide it against other solid stuff, which can prevent it from flipping on the way. You could also take the help of blankets, sheets, and pillows for extra cushioning.
If you do not want to drive the stuff yourself, hire efficient and dependable movers. Self Storage India collaborates with movers and packers who can help you with transporting these valuables safely to the unit. Other professional carriers have different rates and standards for shipping. These rates are calculated regarding the size and weight of the parcel. Use the online calculator on their website to compare their prices.
4. Keep the antiques, decoration pieces, and paintings in a self storage unit
In case you feel that the time is not appropriate yet to shift your valuables, you can always opt for keeping them in self storage units. If you plan to store your antiques and paintings for an extended period, take professional help. These are clean and secure units. They facilitate smooth relocation as you can save your items safely. Apart from providing peace of mind, the convenience that they offer is unparalleled.
A self-storage unit is an excellent way to store your valuables.
However, there are three key things you must keep in mind when choosing a unit and preparing your valuables.
- Choose a site that is neither damp nor dry. It always works well to choose an area that has a consistent temperature and moderate humidity.
- Do not forget the valuables in the storage. It is easy to keep your valuables in a storage unit and then completely forget about them. The problem here lies in the fact that the potential hazards cannot be remedied if you do not check on your items every few months. It is essential to keep a check for any damages that, might occur due to rodents or moisture or any other factors.
- Try to use space effectively. Do not store items vertically. When you store items one on top of another, it is potentially very harmful, as the weight of one of them could damage the other one lying underneath.
We often collect antiques, paintings, or other decorative items over the years. These items are an integral part of our lives, but they also occupy valuable real estate in our homes. You should always store your collection properly, especially if it’s valuable. This article highlights 4 important things to keep in mind to store your treasures safely.
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