WHAT IS CRATING AND WHY IS IT BENEFICIAL?

With so many downsizing baby boomers who have accumulated priceless heirlooms and artwork, many are needing these items professionally crated in order to keep those items safe during their downsizing move. Hiring the right white glove moving and storage company is important to ensure that their items are safely transported to the new home. So, exactly wat is crating and, how is it beneficial? There are three basic components of crating that will help you understand what crating is.

1. What is the value of the item to be crated? This is often the most overlooked question when trying to determine what crating is. Sometimes the item maybe did not cost a lot but, because of sentimental reasons, the value is priceless. Having knowledge of artwork is important but, knowing what is important to them is more important.
   
   I remember a time when I was writing up a crating sheet for an estate owner who had several very expensive paintings and I mentioned to her how we would take extra care of her most valuable piece of artwork. Surprised, she exclaimed, “How do you know which is my most valuable piece?” I simply told her it had to be the piece near her side of the bed in the master bedroom that she saw first, every morning when she got up. It happened to be a piece of art her deceased daughter had painted in high school art class…she was amazed that I knew that piece was irreplaceable!
   
   Knowing the approximate monetary value, however, does help to determine the type and quality of crate that needs to be built. A $250,000 piece of art would require a much more detailed and expensive crate to be built versus a $2500 piece of art.
   
   
2. How fragile is the art/heirloom? Some pieces of art or furnishings are very old, delicate, and fragile. The crating required for pieces like this will need to take this into consideration. Softer foam padding may be needed. Also, the piece may need to be “suspended” or “cleated” into the crate so that nothing touches the fragile pieces. This type of crating will require more details and will become a more expensive crate for the homeowner.
   
   
3. Are there moveable pieces? A three-dimensional piece of art, like a mobile or sculpture, needs to have special “stabilizers” built into the crate in order to keep those pieces from moving and possibly being damaged. Sometimes these sculptures not only have moving pieces but, may have special patinas or finishes which cannot be harmed. In those situations special acid-free tissue paper must be used to eliminate possible damage to the finish.

Once we had an African burial sculpture with very ornate, old decorations that had mounted onto a swivel base (a very bad idea) and, was extremely top heavy because the base was considerably lighter than the sculpture itself (another very bad idea). This piece not only had to secured from spinning but, had to be secured from falling over in its crate, without damaging the patina or the intricate/delicate pieces.

The William C Huff White Glove Moving and Storage Company has been professionally trained in how to crate all forms of art, heirlooms, and collectibles. This training is invaluable when it comes to handling our clients’ irreplaceable pieces. Whether the items are being moved locally, moved into storage or even shipped over-seas, the proper crates have meant safe delivery for all of clients’ valuable pieces.