Antique furniture is not simply fragile, it is unstable
Modern furniture is engineered. Antique furniture has been reacting to its surroundings for a century or more, and that changes how it should be handled.
Three things make the difference:
Animal glue. Most furniture made before the twentieth century is assembled with hide glue, which softens with heat and moisture. A joint that has held for two hundred years in a cool hallway can loosen in the back of a warm van.
Veneer and marquetry. Thin surface layers expand and contract at a different rate from the timber beneath. Sudden humidity changes lift them, and once lifted they need a restorer rather than a clamp.
Timber movement. Old wood has settled into the conditions it has lived in. Move it into a hot room, a damp garage or an unheated warehouse and it will move again, which is how splits and cracks appear weeks after a move rather than during it.
The practical consequence is that where an antique ends up matters at least as much as how it travelled.
Document and value before anything is touched
Do this first, because afterwards is too late.
Photograph every piece from every side, including the underside and the back, which is where restoration and repairs usually show. Close photographs of existing damage matter most, since an old scratch nobody recorded becomes an argument later.
Write a condition note for each significant item. Loose joint on the left rear leg, veneer lifting at the front edge, chip to the marble. Two lines each is enough.
Get valuations for anything of real worth. Standard removals insurance carries per item limits, and a valuation is what allows a piece to be declared and specifically covered. Our guide to making a removal inventory covers the evidence side.
Keep provenance documents with you, not in the van. Receipts, auction records, restoration histories and certificates are part of the value.
Preparing individual pieces
Remove everything loose. Drawers, shelves, keys, glass shelves, candle arms, finials. Pack them separately and label them with the piece they belong to.
Never lift by the vulnerable parts. Not by the arms of a chair, not by a table top, not by carved detail or a handle that is two hundred years old. Lift from the solid frame, always with two people.
Marble and stone tops travel vertically, on edge, wrapped and supported. Flat, they crack under their own weight and under anything placed above them.
Glazed doors and mirrors come off where practical, or are secured and protected in place. Tape across glass is not the answer, and on old surfaces the adhesive causes its own damage.
Clocks need the pendulum and weights removed and the movement secured before travel.
Gilded frames and gilt detail should be handled with clean cotton gloves. Gilding is thin and fingerprints mark it, and once touched it does not simply wipe clean.
Wrapping, and what not to use
The commonest mistake is well intentioned: wrapping polished furniture directly in plastic.
Plastic traps moisture against the surface. Over days or weeks in a van or a container, that produces bloom, clouding and in bad cases mould on the finish. Polished wood needs to breathe.
The right approach:
- Acid free tissue against polished or painted surfaces
- Then blankets or breathable covers, secured without tape touching the finish
- Corner protection on frames and case pieces
- Bubble wrap only over the top of a blanket layer, never directly against wood
- Purpose built crates for anything of high value, with internal bracing so the piece cannot move
Tape should never touch a polished, painted or gilded surface. It lifts finish when removed, particularly on older shellac and French polish.
Environment matters more than the journey
Most antique damage attributed to a move actually happens afterwards.
Let pieces acclimatise. An item that has come from a cool house into a warm flat, or out of storage into a heated room, needs time to adjust before it is polished, waxed or placed next to a radiator.
Avoid extremes at the destination. Radiators, underfloor heating, direct sunlight and external walls are all difficult for old timber. Sunlight also fades finishes and fabrics faster than people expect.
Stable is better than perfect. Swings in temperature and humidity cause more damage than a steady environment slightly outside the ideal.
If antiques are going into storage, ask about conditions rather than assuming. Our containers are dry, clean and ventilated, which is a considerable improvement on a loft or garage, but for a collection of real value it is worth having that conversation before committing.
Storing antiques
- Clean and completely dry before anything is packed away. Damp is the enemy.
- Off the floor, on pallets or shelving.
- Breathable covers, never sealed plastic sheeting.
- Nothing stacked on top, and nothing leaning against a polished surface.
- Moths matter for upholstery, wool and textiles, so clean thoroughly first.
- Check periodically if the storage runs for years rather than months.
For related guidance, see how to pack fragile items for glass and ceramics, and moving pianos, safes and other awkward items for the pieces that need specialist equipment.
Frequently asked questions
How should antique furniture be wrapped for moving? Acid free tissue against polished surfaces, then blankets or breathable covers, with corner protection. Never wrap polished wood directly in plastic, which traps moisture and can bloom or mould the finish.
Can antiques be transported in a normal removal van? Many can, with proper preparation, protection and careful handling. Very valuable or delicate pieces are better crated, and some need a specialist. Declare them at survey stage rather than on the day.
Why does antique furniture get damaged after a move rather than during it? Because old timber and hide glue react to changes in temperature and humidity. Joints loosen, veneer lifts and splits open in the weeks after a piece moves into a different environment.
Should marble tops be moved flat? No. Marble and stone travel vertically, on edge, wrapped and supported. Flat, they crack under their own weight or under anything placed on them.
Are antiques covered by removals insurance? Only to the policy limits unless declared. High value pieces normally need a valuation and specific cover, so arrange this before the move rather than after a claim.
How should antiques be stored long term? Clean and dry, off the floor, under breathable covers rather than plastic, with nothing stacked on top and moth protection for anything upholstered. Stable conditions matter more than perfect ones.
Talk to us
RMV Storage & Removals has moved antiques, artwork and inherited furniture across London for over fifteen years, with house and office removals, specialist packing and crating, materials delivered to your door and container storage, across every area we cover.
If you have pieces that worry you, tell us what they are and where they sit before you book anything, and we will tell you honestly what they need. Get in touch.
Written by Riki Migliori, Director at RMV Storage & Removals. Originally published February 2018. Fully reviewed and updated summer 2026.