Tips for Storing Your Art While Moving

The art hanging in your home is probably among your most prized possessions. This means you must take good care of each painting, print, and poster during your upcoming move. Not sure how? Just follow these tips for packing, moving, and storing art correctly.

To learn more about the packing and storage services we offer in DC, please contact Georgetown Moving and Storage at (703) 889-8899!

Prepare Your Art for Storage

The way you prepare and pack your art is a huge part of ensuring its safety during the moving and storage process. Here is how we recommend packing artwork:

• Dust the art with a soft feather duster or microfiber cloth. If the art is framed and protected with glass, spray it with glass cleaner to remove fingerprints and grime.

• Cover canvas artwork and unframed pieces with a sheet of acid-free tissue paper.

• Wrap the art tightly with bubble wrap. Make sure you cover the corners adequately.

• Tape the bubble wrap in place with a generous amount of packing tape.

• Assemble two corner picture boxes and slip your artwork into one of the pieces, then slip the other picture box over the opposite corner. If any extra room remains around the edges the box, stick in some wadded-up newspaper.

• Tape the edges of the picture boxes securely.

Extra tip: To prevent paint from sticking or other damage from occurring, pack each piece of art individually.

Choose the Right Storage Location

Ideally, you would pack up your artwork, move it to your new home, and hang each picture back on the wall where you can see and cherish them every day. However, you might be moving somewhere temporarily or waiting for your new home to be completed. If this is the case, you need to store your art safely until you’re ready to retrieve it and hang it back on the wall where it belongs. Here’s what we recommend for storing artwork:

• Choose a climate-controlled location: Avoid placing your art in a friend’s attic or basement because these areas are notorious for temperature fluctuations and humidity extremes. Instead, choose a climate-controlled storage unit where heating, cooling, and humidity control protect your artwork.

• Avoid direct sunlight: UV rays from direct sunlight can fade the color from your artwork, so make sure the storage location is dark.

• Keep art off the floor: Store your artwork on a shelf or other elevated surface on the off chance that your storage unit floods.

• Store art in an upright position: Artwork laid flat could be mistaken for a surface to set a box or other heavy object, which could break the glass or damage the frame. To prevent this, store your art vertically against a wall.

Arrange Packing & Storage Services in the DC Area

When it’s time to move, you have much more to pack than just your artwork. Call on Georgetown Moving and Storage for full-service or partial-service packing as you prepare for the big move. Our experienced movers are very knowledgeable when it comes to packing fragile items like artwork and oversized framed photographs.

Then, if you need somewhere to store your art—whether short-term or long-term—we have the solutions you’re looking for. With climate-controlled storage warehouses in Washington, DC; Arlington, VA; Alexandria, VA; and Landover, MD, you can choose the most convenient location to store your art and other belongings. Store with us, and we’ll discuss your needs and budget to ensure you end up with a solution that works best for you.

For more information about our packing and storage services, please contact Georgetown Moving and Storage at (703) 889-8899!