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Tips for packing books for transport

Packing books for transport will require good planning if you want to maintain their condition during the process. Moreover, having books suffer damage due to bad packing will only increase the stress levels of the whole relocation. If you require help with packing them in a proper way or with the relocation process in general, consider hiring a professional moving company NYC to help you. Books require special packing and care during transport and because of that, you should know how to approach them. In this article, we will talk about the best ways you can preserve the condition of your books and avoid additional moving stress.

What to do when packing books for transport

Any book lover knows that transporting books is a difficult task. Firstly, due to their weight, you have to make sure you pack them correctly. Secondly, owning a large collection of books means that you need to plan how you should pack them. There are many ways books can suffer damage during transport, especially if you do not protect them properly. You can even opt for storage units Long Island City to make sure they are safe until you finish the moving process. In the following list, we will talk about some of the best ways you can approach the whole process of packing and selecting which books to move.

  • See what books you want to take with you and which ones you do not need
  • Find strong medium-sized boxes to pack the books in
  • Do not overfill the box with books
  • Make sure you add enough protective material in the gaps between
  • Label the boxes
a pair of glasses on an open book
Maintaining the condition of your books impacts both the aesthetic aspect of books and their overall value

Many books can be surprisingly heavy. Because of this, you want to separate them beforehand and make sure they do not damage other books in the box. Moreover, because you know your books the best, you should know which ones require special conditions.

See what books you want to take with you and which ones you do not need

Many people who read books have a common problem of being cluttered with them. However, when relocating you want to utilize the space you have by moving as much as you can. The truth is that many books we read a while ago just collect dust and take up space. Most importantly, you should go through the books you own and see if you need all of them. Due to their weight and fragile nature, books can cause more trouble than they should. See which books you do not need and sell or donate them.

a bookshelf filled with books that needs decluttering before packing books for transport
Having a large number of books is impressive, however, the more books you have the harder will be the process of packing books for transport

Depending on the condition of the book and the sheer value of them, you should decide what is the best choice for you. Selling them can infuse more money into your budget. If you consider hiring white glove movers NYC, having fewer books will open up more space for other items.

Find strong medium-sized boxes to pack the books in

Do not opt for large boxes when moving books. Due to their weight, they can easily rip through the box and create more work than they should. Instead, find a medium-sized box that is a bit stronger and pack those books inside it. Basically, the smaller the box the more weight it can carry without it ripping apart. You can either opt for thick cardboard boxes or even plastic containers to pack the books you want to take with you. If you have trouble with packing your books inside or finding a good box, you can always use the rolling suitcase. None-the-less, if you opt for boxes make sure you tape them enough so they can withstand the weight.

Do not overfill the box with books

This is the worst thing you can do when packing books for transport. Namely, if you overfill the boxes, you will not be able to even lift the box. Moreover, the chances of the box ripping apart are big. One book might not seem heavy, however, if you pack 20 books you can rest assured they will be hard to lift. So, make sure you organize your books well, so they can fit. If you are moving to Jersey City from NYC, for instance, you will need to be able to pack everything in the moving truck. This means that either you or the movers need to be able to pick up those boxes.

Add protective material in gaps when packing books for transport

Having good protection when transporting your books is very important. That is why you should always strive to protect them while you pack them. For instance, you can use either bubble wrap between each layer of books or you can fill in the gaps with soft materials.

a sheet of bubble wrap
Bubble wrap is an adequate protective material you can use to protect the longevity and condition of your books

You can even utilize this, by putting clothes or soft materials between them. This will allow you to pack more things in one box and protect your books from any potential damage. This is especially important if you have a special connection with certain books and you want to avoid them being ripped or torn.

Label the boxes

Labeling is an important part of packing. This can help you with loading, transport, and unloading. More importantly, you will let everyone know about the possible issues that might occur. For instance, letting your movers know that the boxes are full of fragile items will prolong the longevity of those items. Another advantage that comes out from labeling the boxes is that it will inform the movers that the box contains heavy items. This way, you reduce the chance of those boxes being mishandled.