Packing Up Safely: Risky mistakes to avoid
When it comes to packing your own boxes on a move, the safety of the methodology you choose to use is very important. Furthermore, if using a professional moving service, it’s especially important to be careful when packing boxes because most companies will not insure items packed by customers.
While we have discussed best practices for how to properly pack in the past, today our team will highlight a few common mistakes that may expose your items to risk of damage.
Issue 1: Over stuffed and deformed boxes.
Overpacking boxes can lead to a number of issues, mainly stemming from asymmetrical boxes that are difficult to stack and properly arrange within the truck.
Some of the most common issues we see are an attempt to pack too many items within a box or an attempt to pack an item that is too large in a box.
While this may sound like a minor issue, it can lead to pockets of loose space within the truck and movement of your items. As a result, certain furniture items and box contents may have the potential to break within the truck.
Issue 2: Weight overload.
Packing boxes too heavy can also cause issues throughout your move.
Cardboard and plastic boxes are designed to handle minimal weight limits. While packing heavy items into boxes may be tempting and convenient for busy D.C. area professionals, take your time! Boxes may break or come apart when packed too heavy due to the weight overload.
This mistake should be carefully avoided to ensure that items don’t fall out of boxes while being moved.
Issue 3: Insufficient use of tape.
While packing and cushioning items carefully within boxes is important, proper and sufficient use of tape is arguably even more essential to the safe transportation of your boxes.
Not only can insufficient tape on the bottom of boxes lead to breakages due to a lack of support, but insufficient tape on top of boxes may allow for items to fall out if a box tips over or falls.
At the end of the day, it’s rare that packing yourself goes without any hiccups. For this reason, we highly recommend also hiring movers to pack your boxes if you can afford it.
However, following best practices outlined and recommended in our team’s numerous blogs, as well as avoiding the crucial mistakes mentioned in this article, will help to protect your items from the risk of damage.
