Unfortunately, moving houses can be a stressful process. This can be exacerbated by having high-value personal items that, of course, need proper precautions in place to be protected. However, if the right removal company is selected, this will allow much of the stress to be alleviated!
Moving fine art between properties is a project that needs to be handled with the utmost care. It must be managed by professionals and experts who you trust to handle such precious goods. With this in mind, there are several ways to ensure the protection of your fine art whilst moving, and today we’ll take you through some of them. Fine art removals are something that, amongst several other areas, we specialise in, and we pride ourselves in taking care of our client’s luxury items.
Crating Your Fine Art
One of the best ways to protect your fine art during the removal process is to crate the piece. Crating, by definition, is to encase something in a hard protective wooden shell. We understand that fine art comes in all shapes and sizes, so first, the piece is carefully measured. Once the measurements are obtained, a custom crate for your fine art will be made to order, carefully accounting for its size and dimensions. Another thing to remember is that your crate should have soft interior padding, typically made of Styrofoam. This will protect your fine art further, stop the hard edges of the crate from touching the piece and prevent movement.
There are particular pieces of art that require extra steps to be taken for protection. For example, there may be a particularly fragile piece of art that needs to remain hanging within the crate to prevent it from being damaged by gravity. Think of a particularly fragile art piece in an antique frame or an ornate wall art fixture. These types of work require extra attention. To allow for this, other customisations can also be made, such as interior plastic mouldings to keep specific parts of the artwork from moving or over-extending.
Use The Correct Packing Materials
This may seem basic or obvious, but it is of the highest level of importance that the correct packing techniques and wrapping materials are used. If this is not adhered to, there can be serious damage caused to the fine art. Art is delicate, so in certain temperatures and levels of humidity, plastic or packing paper can stick to paintings and frames or even rub against the canvas. This can then cause the transfer of paint and leave an ugly mark on the artwork.
You may ask, how can this be avoided? Well, it can be stopped by layering the wrapping materials correctly and efficiently and ensuring that only non-disruptive materials are used.
We typically recommend the acid-free wax paper. For particular clients and pieces of art, it can be requested that some works of art should be stored in temperature-controlled conditions. We stress to our clients that this is not the most economical option, but it is one that can be appropriate for some, particularly when the piece is of particularly significant cultural or historical importance.
Pay Extra Attention When Removing & Rehanging
Removing and rehanging pieces of fine art is not necessarily a simple process. This is why it is necessary for trained, professional personnel with experience in working with valuable pieces to be used to avoid damage to art or property. We also emphasise that the correct amount of manpower should always be available for this task, as this will ensure the safety of both the crew and the integrity of the artwork.
We appreciate that fine art removals may not always allow for this, but as much as possible, given the constraints of space, art pieces should be immediately wrapped and crated in the location they are taken down. This is to limit the time and distance an item is moved before being fully protected and so to mitigate against any possibility of damage.
This brings us to rehanging the piece. As with any client service, the positioning of the piece must be agreed upon and approved by the client prior to it being moved. This should be adhered to by the exact millimetre to avoid any dissatisfaction or risk of having to take down the artwork.
Are There Any Circumstances To Pay Extra Attention To?
Galleries & Museums
When moving fine art to and from or within galleries and museums, there is a whole other set of protocols to adhere to. As there are normally higher security levels, crews will need to be registered with the gallery or museum, and they will have to provide identification upon arrival. These may sound like menial things to consider, but sorting them out prior to moving day will ensure a smooth removals process.
As we will be working in a public space, there must be additional considerations regarding health and safety. Although, depending on the person, there will be private clients that also require full PPE. However, for public spaces, our team may need to wear hard hats and high-visibility clothing.
Moving fine art is a skill that must be mastered by professionals; if you require fine art removal services, please contact us today.