The chandeliers are the fanciest and finest parts of almost any room. This elegant piece is not an ordinary light, it is the central art piece of a room. Nothing says elegance as a good looking chandelier that has been crafted with style. However, there are times when people have to move from one place to another. And leaving behind this magnificent piece of applied art would be such a waste. But, moving and packing them is a process in which every step has to be calculated and be done with the utmost care. So, how can you take it off, how can you pack it and move it, you are going to find out in this guide – tips for packing chandeliers for moving. So, without further ado, let us begin!

You need to prepare for taking it off

Since chandeliers are among the most expensive and fragile items in the room, you need to be extra careful when handling them. Packing chandeliers is not easy. This means that you have to prepare for it properly. You need to gather some materials and packing supplies first. And those materials are:

• a step-ladder
• a screwdriver
• a marker
• a thick towel
• some kind of tissue paper or newspaper
• a plastic air-filled wrap
• some plastic freezer bags
• a foam padding
• a packing tape
• packing peanuts
• sturdy boxes (and we mean it)
• a marker
• and a person to help you

How to take chandelier off?

Before you mess with electronics in your house, you need to shut off the power to the room. This is the most important step in the process! To be safe we recommend shutting the power of the whole house. You must do this to prevent electric shock when removing a chandelier. Do not skip this step!

Step 1

Now, every chandelier is different. But there are some similarities with every one of them. First of all, you usually need to remove the screw from the bottom of an escutcheon. An escutcheon is the piece od the chandelier connected to the ceiling. Sometimes the screw is visible, and sometimes it’s not. It may be hidden by the decorative ball. You need to twist the decorative ball to remove the screw securing escutcheon to the ceiling.

Step 2

After that, you need to lower the escutcheon. After that, while you or your assistant holds the chandelier, you need to remove the mounting screws that secure it to the junction box. If you have a large chandelier, you might need help from another person that can hold it.

Step 3

After that, you should use a circuit tester to ensure that the power is disconnected. It would be best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the proper use of a circuit tester.

Step 4

Now twist the nuts that connect each wire in a counterclockwise fashion to release them from wires. Separate those wires if they are twisted. Unscrew the grounding wire which is either shielded with green plastic or rubber, or it is a bare copper wire. Now you can lower the chandelier and move it aside.

Step 5

After that, you should tuck the ceiling wires back into the box. When you have done that, place a cap onto the junction box.

And this is how you can take your chandelier from the ceiling. Good job!

Packing chandeliers for moving

Now it is important to lay your chandelier gently onto a soft surface, like a towel or blanket. You should treat it like you would treat your antique furniture. Now you can unscrew the light bulbs. Wrap those with some kind of protective material, preferably not plastic. Store them into their boxes. Discard any damaged bulbs.

If you have a crystal chandelier, unhook the crystals. Wrap each one of them with some protective material. You can use newspaper for this. Secure them with tape and put them in their box. Take a picture of your chandelier if you have crystals of different sizes, so you can know where to put them back. Detach all the other parts if they can be detachable. Just don’t use force. If something is not meant to be separated, it will not come out easily. Wrap every single part of your chandelier with protective material, secure them with tape. And have different boxes for different parts. You can put smaller pieces of hardware into plastic bags. Just don’t mix different parts! Mark your bags with a marker.

Pack the frame

Now when everything has been taken of your precious chandelier, it is time to pack the frame. Wrap the chandelier with a newspaper in small sections. Cover all arms completely. Secure the newspaper with a piece of sticky tape, and wrap it with several layers of a plastic air-filled wrap. Insert foam at the bottom of the box, and set your art piece into the box. Stuff the whole box with protective peanuts until your chandelier is safe and secure. It shouldn’t move at all. After that, you should add another piece of foam on the top. Close the box, then tape it. Write “fragile” on your box, and draw an arrow pointing upwards. That way you’ll notify your movers and others that they should be careful when handling that box. Write “fragile” on every box and on every bag too. Just remember to treat your movers as they treat you!

Contact a reliable moving company

Now that you are ready to move, you need to hire a reliable and professional moving company. You need to hire a reputable moving company that can transfer your chandelier in the safest possible manner. There are a lot of moving companies out there, but you need to hire a good one since you have expensive and fragile stuff with you. You can search online for the best moving companies in your area, or you can ask someone you know to recommend one for you. Whatever the case is, try to hire a moving company that can take care of your belongings.

Good luck!