1674 Views Moving 101: How heavy should you pack a moving box?
As soon as you start packing for your upcoming move, boxes suddenly take on a much greater importance in your life.
When before, empty cardboard boxes would build up and clutter your home, now you can’t seem to get enough of them!
Once you’ve gathered together every box in the house and exhausted your list of friends and family to ask for any spare boxes, you’ll start trying to cram everything you own into the boxes you have, even if some of them look a little flimsy.
One problem with packing is that we tend to fill the box regardless of how sturdy it is. When we’re packing, the box is on the floor, and we might not notice that it is not as strong as we may need. So, we see a large box and we begin to fill it up. This can result in several problems.
A box that’s too heavy to lift
The box is filled to the brim, then it’s time to place it out of the way, ready for moving day, but oops, you can’t actually lift it! It’s so full it’s just become too heavy. Items such as books are a good culprit for an overfilled box!
A box that’s not strong enough or not well secured
The other issue is that you pick up the box, and the bottom falls out of it. Either it’s insufficiently taped underneath, or the cardboard simply isn’t strong enough and it has ripped. All your belongings fall to ground, and if that’s your box of kitchen crockery or glassware, that’s going to be a disaster!
A badly packed box
When we’re short of boxes for packing, we have to make do and so this can result in items being packed together that really shouldn’t. So, for instance your delicate ornaments may end up chipped because they’ve ended up in a box under something heavy.
Every box has its limits
When originally made, each box has a specific purpose. Their strength will be tailored for that purpose, for example a box that was created to transport clothing may not have the same level of strength as one made to transport books. Some boxes for transporting delicate items will be reinforced to avoid damage in transit. When you’re utilising random boxes for your packing, you’re not likely to know what the weight limits are for your boxes, you need a better solution.
How much weight will a box take?
Having an idea in your mind of the weight that different-sized boxes can hold is always useful when you’re packing. So, if you’re packing heavier items, you’ll know when to stop filling the box.
As a guideline here are some common box sizes and their weight limits…
A 0.04 cubic meter box measuring 40cm x 32cm x 32cm can hold up to 27kg.
A 0.08 cubic meter box measuring 46cm x 46cm x 40cm can hold up to 29kg.
A 0.13 cubic meter box measuring 46cm x 46cm x 61cm can hold up to 29kg.
Having said this, to be safe, it’s wise to not exceed a total weight of 23kg, regardless of the size of box you’re packing.
Choose specialist boxes to avoid accidents
Packing is much easier if you choose your boxes specifically for the purposes you need them for. Columbia Worldwide Movers offer a wide range of different box types to suit all requirements. You can even order them online. So, for example, for your books, you’ll require boxes that are not oversized and that are very strong. For your wine glasses you’ll require boxes that are sturdy and extra thick.
At Columbia Worldwide Movers, we have specialist boxes available for all circumstances. If you’re unsure which box to use for a particular purpose then do get in touch, our expert team will be more than happy to offer you advice. Additionally, you can pick up other packaging materials too such as strong tape and bubble wrap, so all your packing supplies can be purchased at once. Columbia Movers range of specialist boxes has been developed on the back of decades of home removal experience, so you can rest assured this packaging will make your move go more smoothly.