How to wrap furniture for moving

Five steps to wrap a piece of furniture

1. Clean and empty. Wipe the piece down, empty drawers and shelves, and remove glass shelves and loose hardware into a labelled bag.
2. Pad the surfaces. Drape a moving blanket or thick sheet over tops, sides and fronts, tucking it around legs and arms.
3. Secure the pad. Wind stretch wrap around the blanket, never directly on wood, leather or a painted surface.
4. Protect corners and glass. Add cardboard or foam corner guards, and tape an X across glass doors and mirrors over a layer of paper.
5. Label and load. Tag each piece with the room, and load it upright and against the wall of the truck with heavy items low.

Professional crews wrap with moving pads because pads cushion and breathe. At home, old blankets and sheets do the same job. What you want to avoid is plastic wrap touching wood, leather or paint, since it can trap moisture and mark the finish.

Wood and painted pieces

Wood finishes can mark when plastic sits on them for days, especially in heat. Use a blanket as the first layer, then stretch wrap over that. Tabletops should be covered and protected from anything stacked on them.

Upholstered furniture

Sofas and chairs pick up dust and dampness. Cover them with a clean sheet or a purpose-made cover, then a pad. Remove cushions and wrap them separately. Use stretch wrap only on the outer layer.

Glass, marble and mirrors

Flat glass tops and mirrors are better carried upright than flat. Cover them in paper or foam, then in a pad, and ask for a crate or box for large pieces. O'Brien's offers custom crating for pieces that need it. Antiques follow the same rule; see moving antiques.

Disassembly helps

Taking a bookcase apart lets you wrap each shelf flat, and removing the feet from a table keeps them from snapping on the ramp. Pieces that cannot come apart, such as a built-in desk with fixed drawers, are better left whole and wrapped with extra care.

Legs, shelves and headboards come off many pieces and cut risk. Keep screws in a labelled bag taped to the item. For beds, see how to disassemble a bed.