If you're thinking of moving away for a short while and want to hold on to your household items, then storage is a good option to utilise. But putting away precious antiques requires more planning and better care than usual. Here are some steps to help you put away an antique wall clock temporarily.
Detach All Removable Parts & Place Them in a Plastic Bag
Your first step should be to detach all removable parts and place them in a plastic bag to prevent them from getting displaced during the trip to the storage unit. Removable parts of antique wall clocks usually include the pendulum, weights, the crown and the handles if the clock has a door. Keep them together in a bag to ensure that these parts don't end up going missing once you need to reassemble the piece. Wrap each piece individually in bubble wrap or newspaper to avoid any damage to individual pieces.
Tape any Clock Moving Parts Down
Any parts that are not detachable but will move in transit should be fastened securely using packing tape. Make sure that any tape you use doesn't damage your precious antique wall clock so be as gentle as possible. To prevent the tape from damaging the clock parts, you can wrap them first in cloth before securing with packing tape. Once securely fastened, you can begin wrapping the clock.
Wrap the Clock Securely with Bubble Wrap
Once the loose parts have been removed and the movable parts have been fastened, your next step is to secure the clock by wrapping it properly. Place the clock gently on its back over bubble wrap and turn it around until it is completely covered. Wrap the clock several times over to give it an added layer of protection. Tape the ends of the bubble wrap to prevent it from coming undone but take care not to damage any of the clock parts.
Place the Clock in Box & Mark as Fragile
The best way to prevent any damage to an antique clock is to place it in a box after wrapping. This adds another protective layer and prevents moisture from causing damage to the clock. Tape the box shut once the clock is in it and mark as fragile so that any storage operators know to handle it with care. An antique wall clock cannot be treated like any other piece of furniture. Give it the respect it deserves with these packing steps when you move away temporarily.
To learn more about storing this and other valuable items, contact local self storage facilities.