Do you remember how many years of bad luck a broken mirror will bring?
Well, it doesn’t really matter because thanks to these mirror packing tips, your large mirror will survive any house move perfectly intact.
Large mirrors can be rather expensive to replace if the worst happens to them: their frames get damaged in any way, or their reflective surface gets scratched or even shattered to pieces during the haul. And if your particular framed mirror has sentimental value as well, then things may become more complicated than they need to be in the first place.
What’s the best way to pack a large mirror? Remember that proper packing is the key. The detailed steps below will teach how to pack a mirror for moving so that you can practically prevent 7 years of back luck in your life.
Step 1: Prepare the necessary packing materials
How to move a mirror without breaking it? The first step is all about securing high-quality packing materials. It’s important to know that the right type of mirror packing supplies often proves to be the difference between finding your mirror in one piece and finding your mirror in many pieces after the move.
To pack a mirror safely, you will need:
- a mirror box (see the next step)
- thick brown packing paper
- a large piece of thick cardboard
- plenty of bubble wrap
- a few moving blankets
- a roll of packing tape
- a roll of painter’s tape (masking tape)
- a permanent marker
It’s always a good idea to invest in good quality packing materials because you can use them to pack a wide range of fragile household items, not just mirrors.
Step 2: Get the mirror box ready
A mirror box (aka mirror carton) is actually a strong box made up of four separate pieces of cardboard that interlock together to create a highly customizable outer protective cardboard layer.
You won’t need to worry about the actual size of your big mirror because the mirror box can be easily adjusted to fit any mirror sizes during the actual packing process. Where can you get such special mirror boxes? Home improvement stores have them, as do local moving companies, or even truck rental companies.
When packing a large mirror, you will need all four sections of the mirror box to create the custom-sized cardboard container. Slide two box sections into one other, place thick pieces of bubble wrap into their joined corners and sides. Do not use any packing tape yet. Do the same with the other two pieces of the mirror packing box. In the end, you should have two large interconnected half pieces from the mirror packing box telescoped into one another.
See also: How to start packing for a move?
Step 3: Designate a packing area
Before you learn how to pack and move a mirror, your very first job is to set up a suitable packing area. Clear a table that is big enough, for example, the one in your kitchen, dining room or living room. Place a thick moving blanket (or a couple of thinner ones) on the table surface to serve as a soft cushion during the packing process. Then, place the stack of thick brown paper in the center of the table.
The packing station you’ve just set up will speed the packing process while keeping things completely safe. Once you’re done packing your full-length mirror, you should use that packing area for packing up other fragile household items, such as large pictures, framed artwork, kitchen plates, dishes, glasses, and so on.
See also: How to pack fragile items for moving
Step 4: Do the “X” taping trick for extra protection
Use painter’s tape across the face of the mirror in a big “X” from corner to corner. That “X” of masking tape should keep cracked or broken pieces in place if the worst happens and your mirror does get damaged during transit. Alternatively, you can run the tape horizontally and vertically along the reflective surface in a grid pattern which will significantly increase the protected area.
This “X” or grid pattern trick is just a precautionary step you are strongly advised to take. However, if you do follow our tips for packing a mirror for moving, then the chances are that nothing bad will happen to your valuable possession during transport.
Read also: What are the golden rules of packing for a move?
Step 5: Wrap the large mirror like a gift
To stay on the safe side of thing, flatten out an empty large-sized cardboard box that you won’t need and then cut out a cardboard piece from it – its size should match the size of the full-length mirror itself. Next, cover completely the surface of the mirror with that cut-out section of cardboard, then fix it on the mirror front using small pieces of packing tape.
Place the big mirror in the middle of the stack of brown packing paper, and wrap it from each side like you would wrap a gift for a dear friend. Don’t worry about making the bundle presentable, just make sure the breakable item gets wrapped up nice and tight. Finally, wrap your entire mirror with bubble wrap and make sure no part of the delicate household items remains exposed.
Use packing tape whenever necessary to keep the bundle together.
Useful info: How to pack pictures for a move
Step 6: Transfer the mirror into the mirror packing box
Now it’s time to transfer the protected mirror into the mirror packing box.
Slide the wrapped-up mirror into the half mirror carton, then adjust the sides so that they are closely fit to the mirror frame. If necessary, use additional padding materials such as bubble wrap or lightly wadded packing paper to close any empty spaces. Finally, use only a bit of tape to secure the first half portion of your final bundle.
Avoid using packing peanuts for padding because they can actually shift around and expose some parts of the fragile item. Packing peanuts can be great for protecting other breakables, for example, when packing a chandelier for moving.
Insert the second interconnected, bubble-wrap padded but not-yet-taped cardboard section from the top down. Meet the two half-pieces in the middle, then adjust the top one to a close fit and add padding materials if necessary. Again, use just a bit of packing tape to secure the top section.
This way, your large mirror will be well-cushioned and 100% protected during the move itself.
Step 7: Test and label the mirror packing box
Now, before you tape really well the entire package together, it’s time to test the results of your packing efforts.
Lift carefully the entire bundle into the air and shake it slightly. Nothing should be shifting inside – the protected mirror should be completely immobilized. If something does seem to be moving inside, add more padding materials to fix the issue.
If everything looks ok, use plenty of tape to secure the entire package. It’s important to be generous with the packing tape to keep everything tight and thus avoid any transportation damage to your big mirror.
Finally, use a permanent marker to label your mirror box with its content to facilitate the unpacking process. Also, write useful handling instructions such as FRAGILE and HANDLE WITH CARE.
If you have an excessively expensive or exceedingly valuable mirror and potential damage to it is strictly out of the question, contact a professional moving company, for they should be able to build a wooden crate around your fragile possession as the ultimate protection.
