Books makes a great impact on our lives. Its value cannot even be measured by any standard methods. A single book can greatly impact the way we think, and the way we behave world around, and therefore, change us for the better.
Hopefully, we all have books on our shelves that we've accumulated over the years. We may have special books like vintage comic books that we read and embark on a magical adventure to a different world, meets brave knights and beautiful princesses. These are the things that we get as a reward for our love of reading books. And yet, while the value of books is unanswerable, their collective weight makes them difficult to pack and move from one location to another. So, if you are worried about how to pack your books without any damaging, here are some simple packing steps and tips that will help you move your books to your new home in perfect condition.
Get rid of unwanted or damaged books
While it's important to get rid of unwanted or damaged books before you begin packing. Pick out all the hardcover editions and papperbacks that you've already read or no longer have an interest in and decide whether they should be donated, passed along to a friend or thrown away.
Sort and separate by category
Sort and separate your books by category. Take your books which you wanted to move with you and separate them by genre or author. When packing your books in boxes, place them by category, and be sure to label each box accordingly. This will help while unpacking, as you will know where books are located easily instead of having a guess.
Get your packing supplies
You'll need the following moving supplies:
- A stack of clean packing paper or unprinted newsprint
- A piece of cardboard
- Moving boxes or "small" cartons
- A roll of packing tape
- A permanent marker
Pack hardcover, paperbacks, comic books and other heavy books properly
Once you get all the required packing materials, the next step is to properly pack your hardcover books.
Following are the best ways to pack books that will protect the bindings and keep the pages from getting warped:
- Standing up, like on a shelf
- Spines up
- Stacked flat
If you're packing hardcover editions, stand them upright and place them against the wall of the box. After you've completed one row, you can start a second one, putting the books in spine-to-spine. If you have room for a third row, put a piece of packing paper in between and, again, pack them with its open part facing the wall of the box.
Tip: Make sure that large and heavy books should go on the bottom of the box.
Any paperbacks that you want extra protection for can simply be wrapped in paper before you put them in the box. For comic books which are extremely rare or sentimental, you can wrap them in acid-free packing paper and move them separately. For further protection, place a panel of cardboard in between each book. Fill any empty space in the box with bubble wrap or packing paper. This keeps your comics from moving around and getting damaged during the move.
Avoid Moisture
Moisture can be incredibly damaging to books, especially comic. It can completely ruin them. So, keep books in a low-humidity environment to avoid moisture damage.
Seal the box
Whether you are moving your books or having movers take it, you'll still want it to be safe and sound inside its box. So, make sure that the box should be slightly larger than the book itself and insulated with balled up newsprint or packing paper. You can then place the packed book inside the box and add a few more layers of packing material until you have reached the top of the box. After you finish loading up your box, you can close the box and seal it with packing tape. This prevents any boxes from crushing during transport.
Label the box
It is so important to label the boxes "Fragile" or "Books" clearly so that the movers know to exercise extra caution when handling them.
If you have more questions about packing and moving services, we at Movers.com are happy to help. Just contact us today to get more information on our services.