Furnishing Your Home to Create a Holiday Vibe

How To Protect Your Items While Moving In Bad Weather

20 February 2015 by Bonnie Cruz

Moving while it's raining or snowing isn't the most pleasant of situations, but sometimes you can't avoid it. Because water damage can ruin your items, you should take the necessary methods to minimise water infiltration so your things don't get wet and ruined.

Boxes

Cardboard boxes will get soggy and unstable if exposed to the rain, and the dampness might get to your items. To prevent this you can wrap the whole box in heavy duty masking tape. It will make unpacking slower, but it will protect from water.

However, the best solution is getting plastic boxes. You can hire them locally, and they'll 100% protect your items from water.

Items

If you're packing clothes or books, wrap a few items in cellophane. It will protect your items from any humidity that might seep through the boxes.

For furniture, you can try shrink wrapping or just covering in plastic the pieces that could get damaged. Moving blankets are often used by removalists, but they're not enough to protect your furniture since they're not waterproof.

No matter what, sun or rain, cover your mattress in plastic. Mattresses can easily get water damage, and even if you dry them out, the inside might still be damp and become a breeding ground for mold.

Take photos of your boxes so you can compare before & after. This will entitle you to insurance claims if something happens to them.

Packing fillers: packing peanuts vs newspapers

Packing peanuts are better while moving in bad weather. If water infiltrates in the boxes it won't spread as fast as it would with newspapers. Newspapers will become damp very easily, and you'll have to deal with half-disintegrated newspaper shavings in the box and on your stuff while you unpack.

Pets

If your pet has stayed indoors all their life, they might object to being taken out in the rain or snow. Even if they're an outdoor animal, getting very wet isn't good for them. Pets can get a cold just like people do. If you're taking them with you in your lap, wrap them in a thick blanket or towel to keep them warm. If they're in a carry-on, place the blanket or towel at the bottom so they don't come in direct contact with the freezing plastic.

It's not pleasant to move in bad weather, but if you get your boxes and yourself wrapped up nicely to avoid humidity, you'll do just fine. For more information or advice, contact a business such as AA Furniture Removals.

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