Ashley Kinsela, Negosentro |  Any antique items are precious, timeless and irreplaceable. There can come a time where, you need to put all your antiques in some storage facility just to free up some space in your home or when you are moving from one house to another. You may also be looking at updating your home with more modern décor and furniture but can’t bear to part with your antiques. In cases like this you require space for antique storage.

Now, antiques are delicate items and they require some special packing and storing tips for your antique.

Points to consider before selecting a Storage facility for your antiques:

• Climate controlled storage. To make sure that antiques are well preserved, you need to store these in a climate-controlled unit. Extreme temperatures can adversely affect delicate materials, especially aged wood. With climate-controlled storage, even if it is cold or hot outside, the climate inside the unit remains consistent throughout. With the use of a heating and central air system, humidity is effectively reduced inside the unit.
• Location of the storage unit. Look for a Antique storage unit that provides easy access so that you don’t have to lug your antiques very far. If the unit is on the upper floors, make sure the building is equipped with an elevator. Transporting antiques only increases the probability of damage.
• Get insurance. Although you will make the necessary precautions, it is worth insuring your antiques. That way, you provide an extra layer of protection against the loss of these precious heirlooms.
• Security. Consider a self-storage facility that has good security features – individual alarms, CCTV TVs, burglar alarms connected to the local police station and security guards.

Packing Tips:

Here are some key packing tips you should remember when dealing with antiques.

• Get the necessary packing materials. These include boxes, bubble wrap, felt fabric or thick blankets, tape, clear plastic wrap, cardboard corners and “fragile” stickers. There are boxes that are specially designed to store large paintings or mirrors. Cardboard corners, on the other hand, protect a mirror or a painting’s weak areas which are the corners. Be sure that these materials are safe to use for antiques – there are some paper that may contain acids that may cause damage.
• Wrap furniture that are padded with blankets or cloth covers.
• It is best to dismantle heavy furniture, particularly those that are already weakened. This will prevent unnecessary stress to the furniture during storage. When dismantling, be sure to mark which part comes into which parts. Of course, you should use material that will not damage the varnish of the wood. Keep the bolts and screws in one labelled container.
• Wrap table legs and chair legs with bubble wrap.
• When in doubt, don’t. If you don’t know how some pieces should be packed, it is best to have professionals do it for you.
• For paintings and framed items, wrap with glassine paper. Then, wrap with clear plastic wrapping first then place cardboard cut-outs and use packing foam during transport and storage.

Antique Storage:

• Make sure that you have a complete inventory of the contents of your antique storage unit. Each item should have estimated replacement values to facilitate insurance claims should anything happen to the antiques.
• For added protection, spray some furniture polish onto wood furniture before storage as well as leather conditioner for leather products.
• Store mirrors and paintings standing on end, never flat.
• Never stack the furniture.
• To protect metal objects from rust, wipe these with a little bit of oil.
• When storing lamp shades, separate the shade and the base. Make sure to remove the light bulbs.