Moving During The Winter? 4 Tips For A Successful Mid-Winter Move
If you just found out that you must make a long-distance move mid-winter, because your workplace asked you to relocate or your house suddenly sold after being on the market for many months, then you may be apprehensive about moving when the outdoor winter elements are harsh.
However, many people make long-distance moves during the winter successfully, and you can too, especially when you plan ahead and ensure your moving strategy includes techniques for combatting any moving problems that the harsh winter elements can cause.
1. Choose Your Packing Tape Wisely
One problem that some people encounter when making winter moves is packing tape that seems to not want to stick to boxes. Of course, no one wants to pack up their moving boxes just to have the tape fail on a cold moving day, allowing items inside to fall out.
This problem occurs because the adhesives on packing tapes often become brittle and stiff when exposed to extremely cold temperatures; when packing tape adhesive becomes brittle, it loses its stickiness and can fail to keep moving boxes properly sealed.
To ensure your packing tape keeps your boxes securely shut, even when the tape adhesive becomes cold when in the back of a cold moving truck, choose a packing tape specifically labeled for use in cold temperature applications. One option is cold temperature hot melt packaging tape, which contains an adhesive that remains effective at cold temperatures as low as -20 degrees F.
2. Insulate Boxes That Contain Glass Items Well
Another problem that can occur when moving in the winter is the breakage of glass items when they are exposed to sub-freezing temperatures for extended periods of time during the moving process. While glass that is in perfect shape can often withstand freezing temperatures well, older glass items can have non-visible stress cracks that weaken the glass and make it more susceptible to breaking when exposed to temperature extremes.
In addition, glass bottles and jars filled with liquid contents can easily break or burst when the liquid inside of them freezes and expands.
To give all of your glass items the best chance of surviving a cold, long-distance move, be sure to pack these items inside insulated cardboard boxes filled with packing materials that provide even more insulation. While simple crumbled newspaper can insulate small glass items relatively well, consider wrapping fragile glass items in bubble wrap first to take advantage of the air pockets that insulate glass items well.
3. Salt Your Driveways and Walkways the Night Before Your Move
If you watch the local weather forecast and see that a big snowfall is predicted on the night before moving day, then do not panic, and instead, take steps to prevent the buildup of snow and ice on your driveway and walkways before it occurs.
Contrary to popular belief, it is best to add a layer of rock salt to your driveway and walkways before it snows instead of after to prevent the accumulation of ice and snow before it occurs.
Of course, you will still likely have to shovel snow on moving day morning if a heavy snowfall does occur, but you should have less to remove if the rock salt performed its job properly the night before.
4. Cover Your Home's Floors Properly to Prevent Winter Damage
Do not forget to take steps to protect your home's floors from the damage that wet, salt-covered shoes can inflict on them during moving day. Salt granules stuck to feet can scratch the finish of hardwood floors and even corrode the surfaces of vinyl floors.
While adding several floor mats to every entryway can encourage moving helpers to wipe their feet before they enter the home, you should also cover your floors with protective tarps or floor runners, because helpers are bound to forget to wipe their feet from time to time.
If you are planning a mid-winter long-distance move, then remember these four tips for a successful winter move to help reduce stress before and after moving day. Talk to a moving company, such as Christofferson Moving & Storage, to plan your winter move.