Fragile items

What ticking fragile does

It tells us to handle the item separately: packed with extra protection, loaded where nothing can be stacked on it, and marked so every pair of hands that touches it knows. A surcharge is added to that line of the quote, shown before you pay.

It is worth ticking. Goods that are fragile and not declared as fragile are carried at your risk, and a claim is far harder to make.

Glass and ceramics

• Crockery Plates, bowls and dishes, particularly a full dinner service packed in one box.
• Glassware Drinking glasses, decanters, vases and anything thin-walled.
• Pottery and ceramics Ornaments, planters and handmade pieces, which chip at the rim before anything else.
• Tiles and splashbacks Ceramic, porcelain and glass tiles, which crack across the face if flexed.
• Bottles of wine and spirits Breakable and heavy, and a leak damages everything around it.

Pictures and mirrors

• Mirrors Any size, framed or unframed. Large ones travel on edge, never flat.
• Framed pictures and artwork Glazed frames, canvases and prints, where the glass and the surface are both at risk.
• Glass shelves and table tops Loose panes of glass from furniture, which should travel separately from the frame.
• Clocks Wall and mantel clocks, with the pendulum and weights removed and packed apart.

Electronics and screens

• Televisions and monitors Flat screens crack from pressure on the panel, so they need their original box or a screen-sized carton.
• Computers and laptops Desktops, laptops and all-in-ones, along with their drives.
• Printers and office machines Heads and rollers move in transit, so cartridges come out and lids are taped shut.
• Audio equipment Turntables, speakers and amplifiers, where cones and styli are easily damaged.
• Games consoles and cameras Small, valuable and easily knocked.

Furniture, stone and finishes

• Marble and granite Worktops, table tops and hearths, which break under their own weight if carried flat.
• High-gloss furniture Lacquered and gloss finishes, which mark from the lightest rub against a strap.
• Glass-fronted cabinets Display cabinets and dressers, whose doors are best removed or taped and padded.
• Lamps, shades and chandeliers Shades crush, and light fittings have glass parts that come loose.
• Garden pots and statuary Terracotta, stone and concrete, which look sturdy and chip easily.

Valuables and collections

• Antiques Old joints and veneers, where the value is in the original condition.
• Musical instruments Guitars, violins, brass and keyboards, and pianos, which we quote separately.
• Jewellery and watches Better carried by you. If they do travel with us they must be declared first.
• Books and albums High-gloss books, photograph albums and records, which cockle in damp and bend under weight.
• Models and collectables Model kits, figurines and display pieces, often irreplaceable rather than expensive.

Awkward shapes

• Long thin items Curtain poles, pipes, fishing rods and pool covers, which bend and snap in the middle.
• Flat panels Doors, worktops and flat-pack panels, which split at the corners when stood on end.
• Plants Pots crack and foliage is crushed, and plants are not carried on every route.
• Aquariums and terrariums Empty, dry and never with gravel or water left in them.

Packing it properly

Everything fragile needs to survive being handled several times and a crossing by sea. Pack so that nothing moves inside the box: wrap each piece on its own, fill every gap, and make sure nothing touches the walls of the carton.

• Plates on edge Stacked flat, the one at the bottom carries the lot.
• Glasses upright Stuffed with paper, with card between them.
• Screens boxed Face protected, and never laid flat under anything else.
• Small boxes for heavy things A big box of crockery fails at the bottom seam.
• Mark the box Write "fragile" and which way up on every face.

If you would rather not do it yourself, we pack as part of a removal, and we can quote packing for a shipment. Ask us before you send anything you are unsure about.