Packing Books and Media Without Excess Weight

Why books need a packing plan of their own

Books are the quiet troublemakers of every house move. A shelf that looks modest in the living room becomes a serious weight problem once it is sealed inside a box, and the person lifting it is usually the person who packed it. Anyone who has watched a wardrobe box slide onto a van floor knows that the damage usually comes from a combination of too much weight and too little support.

The same applies to your media: CDs, DVDs, vinyl records, box sets and games. They are flat, heavy and awkward to stack because they slide against each other. With a bit of planning, a few small boxes and a decent roll of packing paper, you can move everything without a single cracked spine or strained back.

Choose smaller boxes and set a firm weight limit

This is the single most important decision. A large box filled with books can easily weigh 30kg or more, which is more than most people can carry safely up a staircase. Small double-walled boxes, roughly 300mm by 300mm by 300mm, are ideal.

• Keep every book box under 15kg. If you are unsure, weigh yourself holding the box, then subtract your own weight. A bathroom scale is perfectly good for this.
• Use the same size boxes throughout. Uniform boxes stack neatly in the van and make the load easier to balance.
• Buy double-walled cardboard. Books have sharp corners and a single-wall box will fail at the base before it fails at the sides.
• Never use a box that has already been through a move. Cardboard loses strength once it has been folded, loaded and rained on.

If you are hiring a man-and-van service, ask your crew what box size they recommend. Most will happily supply the right ones and will thank you for not handing them a 35kg crate at the top of a flight of stairs.

Line the box properly before anything goes in

Start with a base layer of crumpled packing paper, about 25mm thick, pressed down so it covers the whole floor of the box. This absorbs small impacts and stops book edges from cutting into the cardboard.

Stand each box on a strip of paper before you fold the flaps. That sounds fussy, but it means the bottom seam is protected from moisture and from catching on the van floor as the box slides in. Run a strip of packing tape across the bottom seam first, then down the outside edges, then across the inside base of the box. Three layers of tape on the heavy boxes is not excessive.

How to pack hardbacks, paperbacks and awkward formats

Large hardbacks travel best laid flat, in layers, alternating the spines so the stack stays level. Fill each layer completely before starting the next one. Never leave a gap at the end of a layer, because the books will slide into it in transit.

Paperbacks are neater packed upright in rows, spines all facing the same way so you can lift a row out in one movement when you unpack. Work from the back of the box forward, pressing each row snugly against the last. A tightly packed box does not shift, and a box that does not shift does not damage anything.

• Fill every gap. Crumpled paper, bubble wrap or a small towel will do. Nothing should move when you shake the box gently.
• Add a full layer of crumpled paper on top before you close the flaps, then seal with tape down the centre seam and across the ends.
• Keep heavy boxes separate. Do not put delicate items, china, glassware or framed pictures in with books, even as filler. The weight will crush them.
• Label the weight clearly. Write HEAVY — BOOKS in large letters on the top and at least one side.

Media, records and box sets

CDs, DVDs and games are lighter than books, so they can share a medium-sized box with other light items such as cushions or soft toys. Vinyl is a different matter. Records are heavy and the sleeves are easily creased.

Pack vinyl upright, never flat. Flat stacking puts the entire weight of the pile on the records underneath and warps them in warm weather. Stand records vertically, firmly packed against each other so they cannot lean, and fill any slack with paper. Sleeves benefit from a sheet of packing paper in front of the first and behind the last record.

Box sets and consoles deserve their own box with the cables bagged separately and taped to the outside of the console, not thrown loose on top. Consoles are rarely damaged by the move itself; they are damaged by a controller sliding across the top during a sharp stop.

Loading book boxes onto the van

Heavy boxes go in first, close to the cab and low to the floor, over the axles if possible. Light boxes and soft furnishings go on top. Never stack a book box more than three high, and never balance one on top of a box that has already started to bow.

If you are using a removals team, point out the heavy boxes as they load. Good crews will place them first and build the rest of the load around them. If you are doing it yourself, lift with your knees, keep the box close to your body and take the stairs one step at a time. Your books will move perfectly well. Your back only has to work properly once.