Moving antique items takes extra care and caution — here’s how we do it.
The Challenge
A customer recently contacted our Greensboro team about moving a few antique pieces from the Architectural Salvage of Greensboro showroom. The Architectural Salvage of Greensboro specializes in items that are at least 50 years old. Their goal is to save vintage materials from homes slated for renovation or demolition, not only extending the lifespan of these materials, but also helping the community with disposal costs. We moved some incredible vintage items, including a cast iron claw foot bathtub!
Making a Plan
The best tools we use when moving a valuable antique item? Planning and communication. While having the right equipment is important (and we’ll get to that in a minute), having a solid game plan is key. We need to determine how we’re going to pick the antique up, where we can safely grip onto the piece, what equipment we need to use, where our walking path should be and where we may encounter any obstacles, and how to best protect the item during transport.
And beyond just having a plan, communication is vital while actually walking with the piece. The person walking in reverse can’t see as much as the person walking forward, so keeping each other notified of any potential problems is one of the most crucial aspects of moving.
The Equipment
Moving antiques without the right equipment is a recipe for disaster. Avoid using amateur movers or DIY-ing the move if you don’t have the tools you need to protect your piece. Moving blankets can be used to pad doorways or the item itself so nothing gets scratched. Moving straps help us pick up the piece safely, and dollies and sliders help us transport antiques as well. We’ll even take a door down (and put it back up, of course) if need be. The Architectural Salvage showroom is set up for us to move antiques out without needing to resort to taking doors off the hinges, but it’s something we do regularly on our residential moves!
The takeaway here? Don’t put your antiques in just anyone’s hands. Work with a moving company that is experienced, prepared, and trustworthy.
If you have antiques that you need moved, contact us! We’ll give you a free, custom quote.