By Stephen Davis
Special to UStorage.com
Although all items are at risk of damage during the transition to a storage facility, glassware has a much greater risk. Crystal, wine glasses and dishes need to be packed carefully to prevent damage, but the most sensitive type of glass is sheet glass such as mirrors, picture frames and paintings.
When packing mirrors for a self storage facility, there are a number of protective materials and packaging boxes available for security. The most popular invention has been the bubble wrap®.
Bubble wrap® has become the most widely used material for glass protection during transport and storage. The material is a composed of two layers of plastic sheet that trap bubbles of air between them. The bubbles act as shock absorbers for any sudden forces.
Another useful material is Styrofoam peanuts. As the name suggest, the material is numerous individual peanut shaped pieces of Styrofoam. The peanuts come in a few sizes to suit the size of the item that needs to be packed.
When packing a mirror for a storage facility, remove it from the surface where it was hung or attached to. Remove any hooks, nails, adhesive pads or other attachment accessories from the back of the frame. Also remove any decoration or material stuck on the frame or mirror surface that does not belong to the structure itself.
Clean the mirror and brush any dust off its frame. Dust particles can cause scratches on the mirror surface when under stress.
Place a sheet of bubble wrap® and lay the mirror face down on it. Fold the excess sheet around the mirror frame and tape it at the back using some packing tape.
Wrap the mirror in a second sheet of bubble wrap® and securely tape it. Cross wrap the whole mirror and frame using the packing tape to hold the packing together.
The safest boxes to use are special cardboard boxes meant for storing glass frames. These boxes come in a regular size and in a telescopic form. The telescopic form is made of two boxes, one inside another. The outer box can be slid to alter the size of the box.
Prepare the box by placing a fair amount of foam peanuts at the bottom. Carefully lower the Bubble wrapped mirror frame into the box until it rests comfortably on the layer of peanuts. Fill the edges with more foam peanuts for cushioning. The frame should sit snug in the box with almost no movement when the box is moved.
Cover the top with more foam peanuts and close and seal the flaps.
Mark the box as “Fragile” in bold letters using a thick marker.
Sometimes two mirrors need to be stored in one box. In such a case, wrap both mirrors in bubble wrap® and place them in the box with their glass sides facing each other.
If done correctly, your mirror and frame will be safe and secure in your storage unit.