09-28-2007, 11:15 AM
Hi Dave,
When we moved to Maui from the mainland, our artwork was packed in Mirror/Glass Packs. The moving company did an excellent job of wrapping each piece in several layers of the newsprint, packing several into a mirror box, and then padding it. They were stored in those boxes for 6 months in storage, and then moved to the garage of the house, where it took another couple months to get them unpacked. No damage at all. Moving from Maui to BI was much the same timeline, but did lose one piece of glass, but it didn't harm the painting. In both cases, we chose to have the company do that packing professionally, and were happy with the results.
HOWEVER!!!!! Realize that you are moving to a very damp environment for artwork. The mats warp over time, bugs actually get inside the glass, and you've got to clean them periodically. Those that handle the environment best are those that are totally packed into their frames with the foam backerboard -- not just the little clips to hold them in place -- all is held securely in place because its a tight fit. This is not a kind environment on paintings, but some protection upfront can be helpful. If you can, consult with a good framing shop, and get the pros to pack your artwork.
Watch out when opening boxes that come from months in storage! We ended up with an infestation of the large cockroaches that came in via the storage building. Of course, they were all over outside as well ;-)
That said, it's always the best part of moving into a new place when the artwork is on the walls. It really makes it feel like home. We're no experts; just have artist friends and appreciate good stuff, both prints, posters and originals. Overall in both moves, we lost one piece of glass, two wineglasses, two bowls, and the bezel around the place on the washer you put the detergent and stuff in. We did all the packing for household goods sans artwork for the Maui - BI move, as well as the California to Maui more. Bought the glass packs and china packs from U-Haul for that stuff, and they did really well.
Sorryfor the lengthy post, but its always good to have your important stuff arrive in good shape.
Jane and Pete Adams
When we moved to Maui from the mainland, our artwork was packed in Mirror/Glass Packs. The moving company did an excellent job of wrapping each piece in several layers of the newsprint, packing several into a mirror box, and then padding it. They were stored in those boxes for 6 months in storage, and then moved to the garage of the house, where it took another couple months to get them unpacked. No damage at all. Moving from Maui to BI was much the same timeline, but did lose one piece of glass, but it didn't harm the painting. In both cases, we chose to have the company do that packing professionally, and were happy with the results.
HOWEVER!!!!! Realize that you are moving to a very damp environment for artwork. The mats warp over time, bugs actually get inside the glass, and you've got to clean them periodically. Those that handle the environment best are those that are totally packed into their frames with the foam backerboard -- not just the little clips to hold them in place -- all is held securely in place because its a tight fit. This is not a kind environment on paintings, but some protection upfront can be helpful. If you can, consult with a good framing shop, and get the pros to pack your artwork.
Watch out when opening boxes that come from months in storage! We ended up with an infestation of the large cockroaches that came in via the storage building. Of course, they were all over outside as well ;-)
That said, it's always the best part of moving into a new place when the artwork is on the walls. It really makes it feel like home. We're no experts; just have artist friends and appreciate good stuff, both prints, posters and originals. Overall in both moves, we lost one piece of glass, two wineglasses, two bowls, and the bezel around the place on the washer you put the detergent and stuff in. We did all the packing for household goods sans artwork for the Maui - BI move, as well as the California to Maui more. Bought the glass packs and china packs from U-Haul for that stuff, and they did really well.
Sorryfor the lengthy post, but its always good to have your important stuff arrive in good shape.
Jane and Pete Adams