Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-07
WHAT MOVING COSTS
PRACTICAL WAYS OF PACKING
ONES BELONGING.
Fragile Things Must Be Carefully
Wrapped or Loss Will
Follow.

Written for The Star.
Moving household effects is always expen-
sive, even when the packing is done by the
family, and during the fall season, when
contracts and leases for flats and apart
ments expire, the general exodus puts a
premium on vans. that are in such demand
from the Goth Of September to the I'd day
of october that twice the ordinary sums
are charged and cheerfully paid by hun
dreds of housewives who feel fortunate in
securing the services of professional NOV
erS
This additional expense of overcharge
could be avoided by many persons if it were
known just what the nominal fees amount
ed to, and If contracts were made with
storage house or private cartman before
the rush Of moving begins. Then, too,
many are handicapped by not knowing just
about how many pieces can be safely stored
in van, and in this way frequently pay
much more than is really necessary.
According to experienced furniture
packer and mover the average van will
hold the effects of a tive-room apartment.
"One van should be sufficiently large to
cart in safety all the furniture, hangings,
well as the clothing of a family living in
an ordnary-sized five-room fiat" he says,
and any woman WHO engages two for her
furniture Is betl.1 needleSSly extravaganza,
for by careful arrangement every chair and
piece of bric-a-brac can be stored in one
properly equipped moving wagon
Two Vans for Seven-Room Flat.
For a seven-room apartment two vans
will be necessary, for. though the furniture
will not entirely fill both of them, there
will be too many pieces for one wagon.
THE cost Of moving depends largely upon
what floor the furniture is to be taken from
and onto what floor it is to be delivered.
Below the third floor the sum is several
dollars less than above 1t. and where the
pieces have to be taken up and down in
elevators the prices ordinarily charged are
increased from one to three dollars, for the
mover is held responsible for scratches and
marks or breakage, and as the use of the
elevator damages more chairs, etc, than
when they are carried up and down the ex-
penSe is naturally more.
The cost of moving furniture in five
room apartment below the third floor to
similar floor in another fiat building any
where within five six miles should not
cost more than S12 a van load at this season
of the year, though the average mover will
get during this busy season from $50 to SO
for van. Above the third floor the nomi-
nal charge will be from SIG to SIS, and if
elevators are used the expense will be from
81 to SO extra.
Where heavy pieces, such as a piano, a
large QeSk or IOlQlnR DeQ, nave 10 nc low
cred out of a window or hoisted from the
street the extra sums charged are from SD
to So. AS the mover guarantees the safe
delivery Of such pieces the amounts asked
are comparatively small with the risk In
volved.
Furniture Need Not Be Packed.
with properly padded vans little packing
wrapping is necessary in moving furni-
ture from one part of the city to the other,
for the pieces are carefully placed together
with burap pads soft comforters be-
tween, so they will not rub. mar or scratch.
OF course If the pieces are unusually valu-
able and fragile it would be well for the
owners to wrap them first with tissue paper
and then with pads of excelsior before
throwing a sheet or comforter over them
and putting them into the wagon.
China and bric-a-brac should be wrapped
in tissue paper, and the glasses, cups and
hollow dishes filled with it before they are
surrounded with excelsior and packed into
barrels The heavy pieces should always
be put on the bottom and the lighter ones
above. Pictures should be wrapped with
soft comforts or pads, rugs rolled and cur
tains folded with thick pieces Of paper be-
tween, so that they will not crease during
the moving. Bedding is best rolled and tied
or put into boxes. and mattresses should al
ways be rolled and strapped. If this pack
ing is left for the mover to do the increased
cost of his services is proportionately large
as the amount of padding and packing re-
CURED
To Pack China.
I'm moving from one part Of the city to
another If a reliable mover is engaged COM
paratively little packing will be necessary
except for the dishes and bric-a-brac. China
should be packed in barrel. One such as
-four and sugar are sold in can be bought
for a few cents from corner grocery, or
perhaps secured from the delivery boy for
the asking. When cleaned of any refuse
the barrel should be thoroughly lined with
excelsior plenty of which must be placer.
on the bottom and around the sides to pre-
vent any Earring and chipping of the cups,
SaucerS or plates.
Excelsior is cheap, and enough of it to
pack barrel of dishes may be bought for
25 cents. Too much of this packing cannot
be used when a barrel or large box is TO De
filled with fine china or bric-a-brac. AS the
heavy pieces, such meat and vegetable
dishes, are to be placed on the bottom they
should be first filled with excelsior and then
carefully wrapped in it to keep them from
being nicked or Clipped by jar. II the
packing does not stay close around the
dishes, as it should. the best plan will be
to tie it with heavy Irvine. Wrapped IN TINS
fashion pieces may be placed on top OF each
other or fitted in around the sides without
danger of their being cracked or broken.
The large dishes naturally set better In the
bottom of the barrel. while the plates and
saucers, carefully wrapped, are OF conven-
lent sizes to place around the sides.
Wrapping Other Fine Pieces.
Cups may be packed one inside of an
other If they are lined both within and
without so that they do not rub Goblets,
too, may be packed in the same way, but
with fine pieces Of cut glass. vases. pitch
ers, bowls the safest way is to pad each
one separately. tie with Irvine and pack in
the center of the barrel.
when the barrel is firmly packed, with
excelsior tucked in at every spot not filled
by dishes, several inches of this packing
should be put on the top before the lid is
nailed into place.
"Bric-a-brac, plaster casts. vases of china,
pottery pieces. brasses and fragile wood or
naments should be similarly wrapped in
excelsior and put in boxes or barrels.
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