Moving Art Melbourne — Expert Tips from ArtPerfect
Style Your Space After the Move
Style Your Space
Moving soon? You’ve probably got a lot on your mind. Taking down, packing, moving and reinstalling your art may not even be on your radar yet — but it should be. Your artwork is likely one of the most precious, delicate and valuable things in your home. Getting it right during the move makes all the difference when it comes to styling your new space perfectly at the other end.
Take Art Down With Care
When moving art there are three main opportunities for damage – removing, transporting and reinstalling at the other end. When taking pieces down, clear the area first and take your time. Wear art-handling cloth gloves to prevent oils from your hands affecting the frame or smudging the surface, and never touch the art itself.
Get your packing materials ready before you start. You will need:
- Packing tape or acid-free artist tape
- A pair of scissors
- Water and grease resistant paper such as glassine to wrap art
- Foam or a blanket
- Bubble wrap, styrofoam or other effective padding
- Correctly sized cardboard boxes
- Cardboard corners and brown paper for framed works
Once your art is down, pack it straight away to minimise the risk of damage.
Pack Art Like a Professional
Hundreds of artworks are damaged or completely ruined during transit every year simply because they were incorrectly packed. Unless you are an experienced expert, there is no guarantee your works won’t be damaged. Different types of art also need to be packed with different materials and in different ways.
Here is a step-by-step guide to packing framed works safely:
- Use artist tape to tape a star onto the front of the glass. If it breaks in transit it won’t damage your art.
- Place your art face down on brown paper or glassine and wrap the edges, being careful not to touch the art itself.
- Use artist tape to secure the paper to the back of the frame, leaving a little unattached for easy removal. The less tape the better.
- Tape cardboard corners to the art to protect the frame, then lay the wrapped art down on packing material.
- Wrap the art with one or more layers of packing material and secure with packing tape. Make sure packing tape never touches the art at any stage.
- Place the painting in a box slightly larger than the artwork to leave room for packing material. If packing more than one piece, place cardboard between them. Never pack multiple large pieces in one box as they are likely to damage each other.
For unframed pieces, use glassine, cardboard, artist tape and packing material to keep the art flat during transit. Sculptures require different treatment depending on their size and medium.
Once packed, load your art into your moving truck on its side rather than flat – it absorbs impact better that way. Secure all other large items around it, or better still, schedule a separate trip just for your art.
Reinstalling Your Art in Your New Home
Unpacking and reinstalling your art is another opportunity for damage, so take extra care at this stage. Or avoid the risk altogether and let the professionals at ArtPerfect handle the entire process from start to finish.
ArtPerfect has decades of highly specialised experience in moving art in Melbourne, including for museums and some of Australia’s leading fine art collectors. We use the best equipment and industry practices to ensure your art is never damaged in transit and is hung correctly in the best possible spot on arrival.
Need help moving and reinstalling your art in Melbourne? Get in touch with the ArtPerfect team today for an estimate over the phone or a fixed quote after inspection.
Contact us for a free quote today!
We are happy to provide an estimate over the phone or provide a fixed price quote after inspecting the job.