If you love decorating your house or flat, you would know that lighting plays a big role in setting the mood of your living area. The lamp is one of your best friends in achieving the warm lighting you desire. Lamps can be quite expensive, so we need to give them extra love and care especially if we're moving.

 

Whether you’re moving to a new house or you simply want to store your lamp in a cheap storage unit for future use, knowing how to pack your lamp properly is important. Lamps come with a lot of delicate parts, so packing them is essential to prevent them from getting damaged. Unlike with other fragile items, packing lamps can be a complicated process. To avoid breaking them, make sure to read these instructions and tips on how to pack lamps for storage.

 

Prepare the Materials You Need.

To properly protect your lamps, you have to use the essential items to keep them safe in a box. It is better to prepare these materials beforehand. You wouldn’t want to be interrupted during the packing process just because you don’t have the materials you need. The following materials can be easily found in any hardware:

 

  • A box that will be tall enough to hold your lamp
  • Another box big enough to fit the lamp base
  • Packaging tape
  • A permanent marker
  • A plastic bag
  • Bubble Wrap
  • Packing paper
  • Used newsprints/paper

 

Disassemble Your Lamp

It’s important that you disassemble your lamp so that you can pack each of its parts and keep them safe and secure. Unscrew first the finial at the top of the lamp. Lamp finial is the “cap” of your lamp that holds the lampshade secure on its base. Seating directly beneath the finial is the shade riser. Remove the shade riser then take off the lampshade. Note that there are different kinds of lamps and their design and parts may vary.

Important tip: don’t forget to keep the screws and other small hardware and store them inside a plastic bag. Label the bag with a permanent marker. Don’t mix the pieces of different lamps inside the same bag. Thus, it is advisable that you dismantle your lamps one at a time.

 

Wrap the Cord

Wrap the cord around the lamp base/body. Wrapping the cord around the body can be handy to avoid loose cords inside your boxes. Once you’ve wrapped it around the base, tuck it inside the wrapped cord. Avoid taping it as it may damage the outer coating of your lamp.

 

Envelope Your Lamp inside the Bubble Wrap

Roll the lamp in a bubble wrap then secure it with a tape. The bubble wrap serves as a cushion for your lamp when you put it inside the box. If you don’t have bubble wrap, you can use packing paper instead. 

 

Pack the Lamp inside a Box

Get the box that you prepared beforehand and make sure that the bottom is securely shut with tape. Place the lamp inside the box face down. Put the bag containing the screws and other small hardware inside the box together with the lamp base.

 

Fill Up Extra Space in the Box

To make sure that the lamp is well-secured inside the box, fill up dead space with paper such as newsprints or other packing materials. This will minimize the shifting space for the lamp, especially during transit. After filling up the box, close and seal it with tape.

 

Pack Your Lampshade Inside a Second Box

Prepare the other box where you can fit your lamps’ shades. Put the shades inside the box then spread a piece of packing paper over the shade. Don’t use newspaper on this one as it can leave a mark on the shade.

 

Nest the Shades

Put the shades inside the box upside down so you can nest your shades. Put the biggest ones first then nest other similar or smaller shades by putting them on top of one another. Similar to the first box, fill up the extra dead space in the box. The shades are very fragile, so refrain from putting anything on top of the shades to avoid breaking them. Secure the box shut with tape.
 

Check and Label Your Boxes

Double-check the boxes if they are securely shut. Make sure that the boxes are properly packed and the flaps are taped properly. Mark these boxes as fragile using the permanent marker.
 

Keep the Boxes Secure in the Storage Unit

Keeping items inside a vehicle or a storage-unit involves stacking boxes. Similar to other boxes marked fragile, it is important that you put these boxes on top of heavier boxes. Make sure as well that the lamps are stored in an environment that doesn’t reach temperature extremes. Damp garages and basements may not be ideal for your lamps and other possessions. There are many storage-units in West London that you can rent to ensure that your items are stored in a sheltered space.