Electronics are often both valuable and fragile. Packing these items before a move and be intimidating and difficult. If you can not hire a professional packing company to pack your electronics for you make sure to take extra care when packing these expensive items.
Our Houston moving company has assisted Houston families in relocating to new homes since 1985. We have moved over 20,000 families in the past year and with such an extensive professional experience comes the knowledge of what usually causes trouble in the moving experience. We repetitively find that our customers have questions about how to pack and move electronics safely.
Here are our top 5 tips for moving electronics from a top Houston moving company.
1. Choose the proper box for your electronics. If you have the box that your electronic device was packaged in when you purchased it, that is always best. There are plenty of boxes out there that come in varied shapes and sizes to safely move your electronics, like flat screens and computers. Choosing a box that fits the item is a good way to ensure a safer move.
- The durability of your box is very important. Pay attention to the listed burst strength of your box. This is found on the bottom of most boxes. The listed burst strength is a measure of the ability of a material to withstand pressure or weight without rupture. Moving boxes should carry a higher score for this, and that score will be over 32. A listed burst strength score shows it is strong enough to be a safe moving box.
- The size of the box is also important. If you are searching for a specific box size, make sure to allow for at least 2″ of packing materials on every side of the item. It is also important when determining the right size box to not leave too much room in the box. Extra space leaves room for the electronic to shift and get damaged in the move.
- Don’t pack electronics in cheap or used boxes. Don’t try to find boxes in dumpsters or use damaged boxes. Trying to use weak boxes to move electronics is asking for heartache. Take the extra time to find strong, durable boxes to move your expensive items.
2. It is a good idea to use extra padding for your electronics when you are packing them in boxes. Your electronics are more than likely very valuable and if taken care of will last you for many years. Extra packing will ensure that these electronics will make it safely to the next home and keep their value.
- The best packing material for the first layer of protection is bubble wrap. Wrap the item in at least one layer of bubble wrap. For electronics, there is a pink anti-static type bubble wrap you can find online if you are packing your electronics yourself.
- As a secondary protection, use a foam filler. Peanut foam is usually the best filler to use for electronics. Fill any empty spaces in the box with the peanut foam. There are environmentally sound foams made of vegetable matter or pink anti-static peanut foam for electronics.
3. Use professional packing tape to seal your boxes. Use the clear plastic shipper’s tape or the brown packaging tape sold on the packing supplies section of 3 Men Movers website. Don’t skimp on tape, especially for boxes holding your electronics.
- Don’t use cheap tape. Grey duct-style tape can dry out and fall off in hot trucks or containers. Never pack using painter’s masking tape, narrow clear Scotch-style tape, or other weak tapes. These tapes can not stand the weight of electronics and probably would not make it through a move.
4. You may need special instructions on specific packing techniques for certain electronics. These special instructions can be found online and also in the user manual for the device. If you have the packaging the item came in, you can find information for packing there. Visit the manufacturer’s website for an online version of a user manual or to request a copy be sent to your home.
5. Before moving an electronic, remove anything that could cause damage or be damaged in the move.
- Anything with a toner or ink cartridge needs to be addressed. Put the toner in a plastic bag and tape the bag to the electronic. Tape it to the padding, not the actual device.
- Remove all CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays from electronics. These need to be packed separately to guarantee no scratches during the move.
- Pay attention to computer drives. Some manufacturers recommend leaving a floppy disk in the A drive to prevent drive damage. You can check online for your computer.
Congratulations on your new move and we wish you a safe and happy experience.