How To Store Antique Furniture

Antique furniture carries a large amount of both sentimental and financial value, but individual pieces can also take up a great deal of space. If you're looking to free up living room within your home, but also want to make sure that your antique items are kept in good condition, you may want to consider renting a self-storage unit. As long as you properly prepare your antiques, they should be able to stay in storage units for as long as you need them to be without becoming damaged.

Proper Moving

The first important thing that you should do when putting antique furniture into storage is to prepare it for transport to the actual unit. You should wrap all edges of furniture with bubble wrap or moving blankets, available at most storage and moving supply stores, to prevent any damage while in transit. Further, you may want to inspect individual pieces of furniture for removable sections and pieces. Taking them off can make the moving process easier – just be sure to properly wrap the removed pieces and store them with the furniture that they came off of.

Proper Storage Techniques

The most important thing that you need to make sure that you do when you put your antiques into storage is to avoid any form of stacking. Keep all items off of your antiques, because any sort of prolonged weight on top of tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture can greatly increase the risk of wear or breakage.

In addition, you should make sure that you store your antiques out of direct sunlight. This is because UV exposure can bleach the color out of both fabrics and wood. If you can't get a storage unit that is completely in the shade, you should cover your antiques with drop cloths to protect them.

Finally, you should also avoid using plastic sheeting on top of your antiques. This is because plastic won't breathe enough, trapping moisture against your furniture and increasing the odds of mold growth and water damage occurring over time.

Climate Control

You may also want to consider investing in a climate controlled storage unit. These types of storage units allow you to control both the temperature and humidity levels within the unit, which can help protect your antiques from mold, from warping, and from a variety of other forms of damage that can be caused by the environment. While climate control does represent an added expense, it can be well worth your while depending on the value of your antiques.