How to properly store furniture
There are many reasons you may need to put furniture into storage. Do you need furniture and artwork out of the way for a renovation? Perhaps, you are moving, and your new space won't be ready for furniture right away. If you are an interior designer, you may frequently find that you need to store furniture, art, and accessories until installation day.
Properly storing furniture and art is essential to avoiding a costly and time-consuming problem. Good news, Stashed is here to help! We put together some steps to protect your valuable goods from being damaged or broken during storage.
In this blog, we will cover how and why to store furniture properly, whether storing furniture in your garage or a furniture storage unit.
Disassemble any furniture with removable legs or parts
It may sound like a lot of work, but removing legs or additional parts will significantly reduce the potential for damage. This step is particularly crucial for wooden furniture. Remove legs from sofas and tables, and consider removing drawers from dressers, if possible. Be sure to save all screws and hardware in a plastic baggie. (HINT: tape the baggie to the underside of the furniture using masking tape.) Ideally, you will store wood and upholstered furniture away from doors and entrances to your storage space.
Interior designers, this means an extra step for you. You may be thinking that storage will be a breeze because your items are already securely packaged in a box when they arrive. However, you must first assemble and inspect each piece before disassembly and storage. This step is essential in discovering damaged or missing parts before installation day. Taking this extra step guarantees a happy client and that you look good! If you are already dreading this process, check out Stashed services here.
Clean furniture before storing it
Each article requires proper cleaning before going into storage, including upholstery. You must wipe down all surfaces and be sure each item is dry before entering your storage space.
Wrap all wood and upholstered furniture
Use plastic or shrink-wrap on every piece of furniture going into storage. An additional layer of plastic wrap is a good idea if you aren't storing your furniture in a climate-controlled space. The plastic wrap will also help keep bugs and rodents from finding their way into your wood and upholstery (Ew!). Secure the plastic wrap with a safe furniture tape, such as masking tape. Avoid taping directly onto the furniture, however. Just a quick reminder from earlier - make sure you are keeping all labeled hardware together with its matching item.
Metal furnishings and accessories also require special care. After a thorough cleaning, wrap them in plastic wrap to protect from dust, heat, and humidity.
Protect your furniture from moisture
After wrapping everything in plastic, you may think the job is over, but not quite! It would help if you also considered how to protect your wood furniture, upholstery, and electronics from moisture. You might be wondering why we are talking about moisture when you mean to store your items inside. A few extra steps you can take are lining the floor of your storage space with plastic and wrapping the furniture in blankets.
Package items in original packaging when possible
You might be thinking that we just told you to take everything out of its original packaging and assemble for an inspection! We still want you to do that, but be sure to preserve the packaging and use your very best Tetris skills to get all those pieces back into the box.
Raise your furniture off the ground
When you least expect it, water gets into your storage space, and everything has water damage! It is best not to store anything directly on the ground. Find a way to raise all of your furniture 6 inches off the ground. Nobody wants to replace a sofa that was destroyed by an unexpected rainstorm.
Hire a professional
If you are responsible for your client's belongings, it is critical to ensure the items don't require repair or replacement because of how they were stored. Storing and caring for furniture properly is a big job. Consider hiring an expert service that will take care of everything for you. Stashed will take care of the details and so you can focus on your design.
Head over to https://www.stasheddesignerservices.com/services to discover how we can help you and your business with your furniture delivery and storage needs. We exist to make your life easier.
