Packing and Shipping

Shipping Fragile Items in Santa Fe, NM

May 5, 2019 by shipsafe

Moving fragile items from one place to the other always causes stress, and it can increases tenfold when the fragile item to be shipped is a gift. No one wants to send or receive a broken gift item, therefore many people tend to steer away from the idea.

However, with proper packing techniques and expert shipping services (that’s us!), you can safely send a fragile gift to any destination without worry. That being said, there are several dos and don’t’s that you should keep in your mind when shipping fragile items.

Choose the Perfect-Sized Box

For any fragile or brittle item, it is important to pick the right size box for your shipment. The box should be well-fitted so that the objects can’t shift or hit each other during transit. It is also important that the items not be touching each other, and the box should provide enough space between each item to place some sort of cushioning material.

Position The Items Properly

Another important aspect of packing fragile items is their position within the box. For instance, glassware with wide openings should be placed upside down, while any brittle object should be thoroughly wrapped and laid flat in the box to avoid breakage. Items placed in random positions are more likely to be damaged during shipment.

Cushioning is Important

When packing fragile gift items, make sure you are using proper cushioning to offset any stress or shock they may endure during their journey to the recipient’s address. There are several cushioning elements that you can choose from to best suit your particular items needs.

Bubble wrap
Foam peanuts
Styrofoam fillers
Cardboard pieces
Cloth
Sleeves

Shipping Insurance

Consider shipping insurance for fragile gifts you are sending. If the item has a worth greater than $100 most shipping companies will automatically add on coverage, however, you can purchase shipping insurance on an item of any value.

Outsource the Packing and Shipment of Fragile Gifts

If you are overwhelmed by the details of packing and shipment of fragile items, then don’t be afraid to get professional help. Pak Mail Santa Fe can help ease the stress of shipping your fragile gift by doing the packing for you. Just bring in the fragile item you want to ship and they will take care of the rest.

Pak Mail Santa Fe employs a double boxing method when pack fragile items to offsets any shocks, vibrations, and mishandling the parcel may endure in route to its destination. If you need to ship any fragile gift made of glass, china, or crystal, get in touch with your local Pak Mail store and have the job done right.

Bronze Shipping

April 24, 2019 by shipsafe

The first thing you should be concerned about when shipping bronze sculptures is insurance. It’s highly important to get full coverage for such a valuable item because many things can happen during transit. Depending on the size and weight of the sculpture, you need to calculate the shipping cost, VAT, and customs that you will be paying.

Here, the way the sculpture is packed plays a big role. Without proper packing, you might be receiving a broken sculpture with your money down the drain. Wherever you plan to ship the sculpture, there are a few customs regulations that need to be followed. For example, any personal item that is being shipped to China and costs more than CNY 1,000 can be returned by the authorities, any crate that boards a ship to the UK needs to be fumigated and in KSA, a Clean Report of Findings is required from the origin country before anything above USD 100 is shipped.

Once you have found out the customs regulations of the country you are shipping your bronze sculpture to, you can start packing. Following are the tools you will need and the steps you need to follow for packing your bronze sculpture:

Materials List

Sturdy cardboard box
Bubble wrap (small and big sheet)
Custom wooden crate
Shredded paper
Cotton
Packing tape

Step #1

If the sculpture has any sharp corners or protruding edges, cover them with cotton. Create a nice thick padding and wrap it at least 4 times around the protruding part. Attach cardboard corners to prevent the sculpture’s edges from chipping.

Step #2

Cut the thin bubble wrap and wrap it around the sculpture twice. Seal the bubble wrap with packing tape but make sure it does not come in contact with the sculpture. Wrap the sculpture vertically, again overlapping the previous layer to cover the bottom and top surface.

Step #3

Take the big bubble wrap sheet and cover the sculpture entirely. Secure all around with packing tape. Avoid tapping too much or you might have difficulty when unpacking.

Step #4

If the sculpture weighs less than 5 lbs, then you can pack it in a cardboard box. If not, you need to get a custom wooden crate. Let’s assume that the sculpture weighs less than 5 lbs. Following are the instruction on how to pack the sculpture in a cardboard box:

· Step #5

Make sure the cardboard box has 2 inches of free space on all sides, one the sculpture is placed inside it. Double tape the bottom of the cardboard box just to make sure that the flaps do not open accidentally.

· Step #6

Lay down a layer of shredded and wadded paper. Place the sculpture inside the box and fill any space with more wadded paper. Shake the box so that the sculpture situates itself fully in between the wadded paper.

· Step #7

Close the lid and shake the box to see if you feel any movement. If you think that the sculpture still needs extra padding, then add more shredded paper.

· Step #8

Before tapping the flaps, drop a few packets of drying agent (calcium chloride) into the cardboard box. Any water that might come into contact with the sculpture will be immediately absorbed by the drying agent.

· Step #9

Close the flaps and secure them with packing tape. For added safety, shrink wrap the package.

· Step #10

Print “THIS SIDE UP” and “FRAGILE” on a paper in bold letters and attach it to the box

These 10 steps will help you pack your bronze sculpture easily for its safe arrival at the destination. In the case you are using a wooden crate, follow the same instruction but use packing peanuts instead of shredded paper.

Shipping China Dishes

April 12, 2019 by shipsafe

Shipping fine China dishes requires foolproof packing so that it does not get damaged in transit. The good news is that packing China dishes is quite easy if you have the right tools.
For proper packing, clear your dining table and place a large thick cloth on it. The soft surface ensures that even if you accidentally tip over a piece, it won’t break.
Create a list of all the items and their accompanying accessories that need to be packed, so that you can buy the proper tools.
Lay down all the items on the table, so that you can have a clear idea of what needs to be packed first and how.
Materials List
• Measuring Tape
• Tape Gun
• Dish Pack Boxes (Double Walled)
• Tissue Paper
• Inner Boxes
• Large Bubble Wrap
• Packing Peanuts
• Small Bubble Wrap
• Pressure-Sensitive Tape
Step #1
Measure the size of each China dish and note it down. Make sure the inner boxes have 1 inch of space left from all sides once the dish is placed inside. As for the dish pack boxes, they must have at least 3 inches of space on all sides. The dish pack box is usually for those items that are too delicate and require double protection. You can also use this box for placing bowls and mugs.
Step #2
Wrap all the dishes in tissue paper and then secure them with scotch tape. (The reason why packing tape is not recommended is that it can cause damage to fine China when they are being unpacked.) Do not use newspaper instead of tissue paper, as China dishes packed in the former material are not qualified for insurance.
Step #3
Wrap the tissue wrapped China dishes with the small bubble wrap. You can now secure this bubble wrap with packing tape as it will no longer come in contact with the China Dish directly. Wrap the dishes once again with the big bubble wrap and secure it with packing tape. This creates a nice padding for the dishes and any hard impact is absorbed by the big bubble wrap.
Step #4
Fill the bottom of the inner box with packing peanuts at least 3 inches high. Place the wrapped package in the box and then create another 3-inch layer of packing peanuts. Repeat the process until the dishes have been pilled till the mouth of the box, leaving 2 inches of space. Lastly, create another layer of packing peanuts and close the flaps. Use packing tape to secure the box.
Step #5
Fill the bottom of the double walled boxes with packing peanuts. Place the packed box inside this box and then fill any void with packing peanuts. Finally, close the flaps and secure them with packing tape. Label the box “FRAGILE” in bold letters with a red marker.
Follow these steps one by one to a T and you will be able to pack and ship your fine China easily. Make sure you get insurance for them before handing the box over to the movers.

Shipping Furniture

April 5, 2019 by shipsafe

Shipping furniture is a tough task. Sure, the movers will be there to transfer it to the dock but before that, you need to make sure everything is packed safely. Depending on what type of furniture you are trying to move, there are several ways to pack.

Small furniture items such as footstools or poufs can be easily packed in cardboard boxes, a bed set can be disassembled and the pieces can be simply wrapped in plastic (the same can be done for the dining table) and the mattress can be covered with a plastic bag. Are you with us so far? The real problem arrives when you have to prepare the couch and the cupboard for shipping.

How to Pack a Cupboard for Shipping

To assist you with the packing, we have come up with 5 steps that you can follow easily:

Tools You Will Need

Moving blankets
Corrugated cardboard sheets
Packing tape
Bubble Wrap
Plastic stretch wrap
Shrink Wrap
Corner guards

Step #1

If the legs of the cupboard or armoire are detachable, then remove them and place them in a plastic bag. You can either transport the drawers with the cupboard or pack them separately. Let’s assume that you plan to pack them with the cupboard. First, place corner guards on the cupboard to prevent the edges from chipping. If the armoire has any delicate parts, then wrap them in bubble wrap and secure with a tape. Avoiding taping the cupboard’s surface as it might rip off the paint.

Step #2

Cover the entire cupboard with a moving blanket and make sure there are no lumps.

Step #3

Double wrap the cupboard with a plastic stretch wrap to secure the blanket. Since, at this point, the tape is of no use, you will need to carefully wrap the cupboard to prevent the blanket from unraveling.

Step #4

Attach pieces of corrugated cardboard and secure them with tape. Create a DIY box that will protect the cupboard from all angles.

Step #5

Finally, shrink wrap the package and use ropes to secure every layer in its place. If you don’t have a shrink wrap machine, then get in touch with your moving company and before the delicate furniture items are loaded into the truck, get them shrink-wrapped.

Pro Tip: When you have finished packing the cupboard, shake it once to see if the drawers rattle. If you do hear a sound, it means additional cushioning is required. All you need to do for this is attach foam pads and shrink wrap the cupboard again.

Whenever shipping anything, whether to another city or cross country, make sure to get insurance for every time. Situations such as the cargo getting damaged or lost at sea don’t happen too often but in case it does, at least you will be compensated monetarily. Before you go searching for a moving company, make sure they are licensed and offer different types of insurance policies according to their service.

Shipping Furniture

March 22, 2019 by shipsafe

When moving cross country, shipping furniture can quickly become a huge burden. A great way to make sure that you are not wasting money when shipping particular items is to check their strength.

Create a list of all the furniture items listed according to size from small to large and then cross off those that might not survive the move.

Where small items can be just dumped into a cardboard box, the big items require more care and customized boxes. Before you start packing, measure the dimensions of the bigger furniture items to get accurate sized boxes. The measurement should include the furniture’s height, depth, and width, along with diagonal dimensions for items that might have any protruding parts.

Following are brief tips on how to pack different furniture items:

Bedroom Furniture

· Box Spring and Mattress

Box springs and mattresses get damaged quite easily if they are not packed properly. There’s a simple way to pack both of them together and reduce the cost:

Buy a shipping box and a mattress bag
Slide the spring box and the mattress into the bag and seal the edges with packing tape
Put the bag in the shipping box and secure it tightly with packing tape

· Footboard and Headboard

The remaining parts of a bed set can be packed in a blanket. Here’s how to do it:

Unscrew all the nuts and bolts from the headboard and footboard, and keep them in a ziplock bag
Wrap both boards in a moving blanket
Secure the blankets with plastic stretch wrap
Tape all the corners to prevent the boards from sliding out

Let’s move on to other items that have legs such as the dining table, bench, and sofa.

Lounge

· Bench and Table

To prevent any damage to these types of furniture items, it is better to ship them in a crate. It might be a little costly but guarantees safe arrival at your destination:

Buy a crate that is a tight fit for the furniture (free room for slip and slide can cause damage to the corners)
Slip on a sock on each leg of the bench and a trouser on the table leg
Warp the legs in bubble wrap
Place cushions and pillows on the seats to create padding
Wrap the furniture in moving blankets and then secure the blankets with plastic wrap
Tape the furniture from top to bottom
Lift the furniture and place it in the crate
Screw the top from all corners

Note: If the legs of the table or bench can be removed, then you can easily pack the furniture in just moving blankets and plastic wrap.

Delicate furniture pieces such as a grandfather clock or glass shelves must be padded with Styrofoam blocks so that the glass can be prevented from shattering. Other than that, most of the items can be wrapped in moving blankets and plastic wrap.

Why it’s Worth it to Spend More on Packing Supplies

March 15, 2019 by shipsafe

Introduction

Moving takes a lot of time and can require a lot of your money. To save on cash, it may be tempting to use boxes gleaned from the office or a local store, but this may cost you more than you expect.

Why Spend Money on Packing Supplies?

The nice thing about free boxes is that they don’t cost you

anything! The problems with them are that they’re not uniform in size, may be too broken in to protect your belongings, and might already be labeled.

The best thing about moving is unpacking, and new boxes with accurate labels can save you a lot of headaches. If you’re moving from a two bedroom apartment into a three bedroom house, making sure that your boxes are all marked accurately can save a lot of hunting and digging around in mystery boxes.

Protect Your Collectibles

Once cardboard is bent, it begins to lose it’s structural integrity. In addition, there are many different grades of cardboard. If you’re moving precious, especially those of large sizes, a new moving box is crucial to get that item to your new place in one piece.

This is also a great reason to purchase new bubble wrap and good quality tape with an easy to use dispenser. Your everyday dishes may be fine wrapped in kitchen towels, but great-grandma’s china collection needs a bit more care so it can be displayed in your new home.

Where can I buy moving boxes sized to precious objects? First off, wrap the item in bubble wrap and tape it securely, making sure to affix the tape only to the wrap. Measure the object in this state, then find a box with several inches on the top and bottom. Add padding to the bottom of the box, then load your object, and finish off the packing with a pillow or more padding. If there’s space on the sides, carefully fill this with more padding.

Don’t rush, and don’t leave a lot of play for the object to bounce around.

Stacking

If you purchase new moving boxes, you can be sure they’ll stack uniformly and survive the moving truck. Used boxes will weaken over time, and the last thing you want to find at the end of your move is that the bottom box failed and your towers of belongings have shifted or collapsed on the road.

Where Can I Buy Moving Boxes?

We have you covered at Pak Mail! Stop by and let us help you get the best supplies for your situation.