Better Boxes, Better Storage. Five Can't-Miss Tips For Packing
Filling your storage unit comes with so many inherent frustrations. You have to find the perfect facility, load everything into a truck, and try to concoct some sort of organizational scheme to keep everything in place. If your boxes are not packed well, you will have to deal with them popping open or not stacking well. Who needs that? Here are five tips for packing a better box and avoiding the unnecessary headaches especially when moving storage units.
1. Tape the Bottom
Many people just tuck the box ends into each other and fill the box. But if there's anything at all heavy in the box, it will fall right through the non-supportive, tucked bottom. To avoid this, put a strip of strong packing tape along the bottom of each box. It will give the box that little bit of extra strength you need.
2. Use Smaller Boxes
You might be able to lift 40-pound boxes without a problem at the beginning of the day, but after a few hours of moving, they are going to start feeling really heavy. So, it is smart to choose smaller boxes so that they don't become quite as heavy when packed full. If you have some larger boxes, fill them with really light items like linens and curtains.
3. Choose Corrugated Cardboard
Avoid any boxes made from thin, flimsy cardboard. You will have to lift them very carefully to prevent them from bending, and you won't be able to stack anything heavy on top of them. Only use boxes made from strong, corrugated cardboard.
4. Put Heavy Items in the Bottom
When you have a box that you'll be packing with various items, instead of many of the same type of item, pay close attention to the order in which you add things to the box. Place the heaviest items in the bottom of the box, and layer progressively lighter items on top. Your light items won't get squashed, and you won't have a top-heavy box that tumbles off the stack, either.
5. Label Boxes Based on Weight
It's a good idea to label each box with its contents. But you should also put a mark on each box to indicate weight. Mark the heavy ones with red, medium with blue, and light with yellow, for instance. This way, when you are stacking boxes, you can quickly select the heavy ones for the bottoms of the pile and the lighter ones for the top.