So just how do you pack books for a long distance move? Packing boxes for long distance moves requires the correct box size and protective packing materials. Doing so gets your books from A to B in the same great condition they left your book shelf.
Packing correctly can make a huge difference to the protection you provide to your books. It’s easy to do once you know how. In addition it’s ultra low cost, requiring only small packing boxes and low cost packing materials to get high levels of protection for long distance moves.
Using Heavy Duty Boxes for Heavy Books
There is a limit to how much weight a standard moving box is capable of carrying safely. Overloading a moving box will eventually lead to its total collapse. This will often at the worst of times and usually by the bottom end giving way, or by the handles ripping or tearing.
Heavy books, books large in size, and books with hard covers greatly increase the boxes overall weight. What these type of books require is a heavier duty box that’s more than capable of carrying their additional weight.
A standard moving box is capable of carry 65lbs and can withstand 32lbs of force at their edges. Great for carrying lightweight books in small boxes, not so great for heavily loaded boxes that potentially need to be stacked on one another.
Heavy duty boxes provide extra protection due to their stronger thicker walls that withstand bending and deforming from outside impacts and forces.
Use these for long distance moves if you wish for extra protection from scrapes, heavy impacts, and outside piercing forces.
| ECT Rating | Maximum Weight Capacity | Number of Corrugated Walls |
|---|---|---|
| ECT-32 | 65lbs | Single |
| ECT-44 | 95lbs | Single |
| ECT-48 | 100lbs | Double |
| ECT-51 | 120lbs | Double |
| ECT-90 | 280lbs | Triple |
| ECT-155 | 300lbs | Triple |
Why Packing Small and Compact is Best
Damage occurs with constant violent movement within the box. This excess violent movement leads to:
- Scraping of books against each other and the box sidewalls
- Bending of cover and pages due to books colliding with each other
- Edge of books being damaged by impacts from hard cover books and hard spines
Restricting the movement within the box during long distance transportation limits the energy that the books can impact each other with inside the box.
Keep the books in the exact position you packed them in. Small boxes assist with this fact as loading this size of boxes to their weight limit leaves little room for free space. Since the interior volume space is filled easily with small boxes it allows for the little remaining space to be filled with void fill to restrict any potential unwanted movements even more. With smaller boxes less void fill will need to be used.
Large moving boxes can be difficult to fill the complete volume of space with books due to:
- Dimensions of the box are too big
- The weight limit of box may be reached before all remaining free space can be filled with books
- Huge amounts of void fill will be required to fit the remaining space
Small boxes limit the upper weight the box can reach when it is at its full volume capacity. This inherently makes carrying and moving a small fully filled box safer than carrying a large fully filled box full of books. Safer for both the person carrying and for any potential damage occurring to books if the worst happens and the box is dropped or completely fails.
Pack Books Flat on Their Back For Best Protection
Packing books flat on their back is the best way to prevent damage to pages and covers at the non spine end. Simply put, keeping the books in close proximity with each other, as tightly packed as possible provides greater strengthening against folding and bedding of these said areas.
Flat pack ensures that these more damage prone areas have the least chance possible to make poor contact with the other packaged books. Reducing the chance of these areas touching other books, increases the chances of your books reaching their destination unharmed.
Won’t Packing All Books Flat Take Up Extra Space?
Yes, packing flat will take up more room than using a combination of laying some books flat, others on their spine, and others standing up. The problem with this is that you are keeping the weight of the book on a more vulnerable area prone to receiving damage. While this isn’t always the end result of packing books this way, if you want the best chance of keeping them in best condition, flat packing is clearly the best solution. Extra boxes and void fill will need to be used to make this work. Regardless it will be well worth it to ensure your long distance move has the lowest impact on the condition of your favourite books.
Honeycomb Protection and Other Added Protection Solutions
Honeycomb cushioning wrap is an eco-friendly Kraft perforated packing material that is both recyclable and biodegradable. It is lightweight, highly cushioning, and doesn’t require scissors or blades to separate pieces from the main roll.
Honeycomb protection ensures the outside edges and sides of your books stay protected. Interaction with the sides of the boxes and with other books without honeycomb wrapping can cause the following to occur:
- Folding of pages caused by other books pressing against the side of the book causing the page getting caught between
- Creasing of pages caused by another book cover or pages rubbing and pressing against the pages of a book
- Scraping of the books cover by outer edges of the box or other books during rough and bumpy periods of the long distance move
- Pages getting caught with pages of other books
Wrapping individual books or a few select books together inside a piece of Kraft honeycomb significantly increases the protection against minor damage courtesy of a lightweight protective barrier. All the hazards listed above have significantly reduced chances of occurring to an almost insignificant number if this is done correctly.
Best Void Fill for Boxes With Books
Void fill helps you fill in empty space and provides cushioning to packed items inside the box. Use of a smaller boxes allows minimal void filling to be used.
Void Fill to Go For
These are the types of void fill you’ll want to use to pack you books.
Paper Stuffing
For an easy solution that gives you the option to decide how thin or thick your cushioning needs to be. Paper stuffing adds that extra needed layer of protection. The cushioning provided is enough to take the edge off big impacts that the packing box may experience during long distance moves.
Plastic Wrap
Plastic wrap is used effectively to cushion heavier objects inside a box. While not necessary for most books, the heaviest of books could use plastic wrap for increased protection. We don’t believe plastic wrap is necessary when carrying the majority of average sized books. Paper stuffing is more than sufficient to protect books wrapped in honeycomb paper.
We only recommend plastic wrap in the case your books are being packaged into a box with other item types. In this scenario there’s an increased risk that the other items cause your books more harm. Hazards can include sharp objects or objects with harder edges such as metal materials.
Void Fill to Avoid
These are the types of void fill you don’t want to use to pack your books
Crinkle Cut Paper Shred Fill
Crinkle cut void fill is typically used for giving a nice and inviting presentation inside of gift boxes. While it does add some level of protection, it is simply an impractical use of fill. It’s also quite messy compared to plastic wrap and paper stuffing, which are far more elegant solutions. If you have some left over it can be worthwhile if packing books in extra small boxes, otherwise it is not cost effective or very practical.
Additional Precautions During Shipping
Here are a few additional precautions to take for preparing your book boxes for shipping.
Stacking Book Boxes
Remember that the number of boxes you can stack on top of each other is limited by their ECT rating. If you plan to stack up several heavy boxes filled with books, you should consider using double wall strength boxes for ones that are going to hold several boxes above them.
When moving it can be hard to sort items exactly how you need them in vans or trucks. You may need to unexpectedly stack other heavier items on others to save space.
In this case you’d want to ensure that your book boxes have the best chance of retaining their structure in order to best protect the items inside.
Water Proofing Book Boxes
No doubt that regardless of the level of physical protection the box may have (that also includes with any protective filling), it will still be susceptible to water damage.
Corrugated Kraft provides no water proof protection. While we don’t anticipate that your moving box will ever come into contact with water during its long distance move, it doesn’t hurt to prepare for the worst unexpected events.
A plastic cover surrounding the outside walls and edges of the box can do a great job of preventing any would be moisture from getting all the way through to your books and causing major damage. While a plastic cover won’t do much for a completely drenched box, it provides great protection against small accidental spills and light showers.
Conclusion – How Do You Pack Books For A Long Distance Move?
Pack books inside the smallest box possible when they are laid down flat inside the box. Laying books down flat gives the best protection against damage such as scuffs, page tears, crinkled pages, and folded pages.
Damage is prevented by limiting the amount of free movement the books can have inside the boxes. Further protection is given by wrapping all books in a honeycomb Kraft paper that prevents the books from damaging each other.
The remaining free space inside the box should be filled with a void fill. Either paper stuffing or plastic fill wrap.
If you fear your books may come in contact with water or other liquids, a plastic cover should be used at the surrounding sides and edges of the book box. It will give you much greater protection in case the worst were to happen.
Buy smallest boxes for the best prices from your local hardware stores.
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