Moving Paintings, Framed Photos and Wall Decor Without Damage

The sitting room is nearly empty, the sofa is wrapped and the last things still on the wall are the big family portrait, two canvases from a friend and a row of framed certificates. Nobody wants to be the person who cracks the glass on the portrait during a house move.

Wall decor is light but fragile, and the damage usually happens in the truck, not in the hand. A little padding and a sensible loading plan solve most of it.

Take things down carefully

Take photos of the wall arrangement before you start, so you can hang everything back the way it was. Remove hooks and nails last. For heavy frames, ask a second person to hold the other side while you lift the frame off the hook.

Wipe the front lightly with a dry cloth. Do not spray cleaner on a frame. Liquid creeps behind the glass and stains the picture.

Protect the glass and the corners

Corners break first. Cut cardboard into corner guards or fold thick paper over each corner and tape it on. For framed pictures with glass:

1. Lay masking tape across the glass in a large X. If the glass cracks, the pieces stay together.
2. Cover the front with a sheet of cardboard or a thin foam sheet.
3. Wrap the whole frame in a blanket, bubble wrap or soft cloth.
4. Tape the wrapping on the outside only, never straight onto the picture or the frame finish.

Do not use newspaper directly against a painting, because ink can transfer.

Canvases and unframed paintings

Canvases do not have glass, but the surface scratches easily and the stretcher frame can warp. Place a clean sheet of paper or cloth over the face, then wrap the canvas in blanket. Never stack anything heavy against the front, and never rest a canvas on a sharp corner.

Oil paintings may still feel tacky if they are recent. If a painting is very new or valuable, ask the artist or follow the maker's guidance on moving it.

Packing for the truck

Stand frames on their long edge, not flat. Flat packing puts pressure on the glass. Place cardboard between frames so they do not rub, and pack them tightly in a box or between two mattresses or wooden boards. Label the box with "Fragile, this side up" and the room it belongs in.

For big mirrors and large glass frames, read our guide to moving glass, mirrors and table tops safely. The same ideas apply.

Loading and positioning on the truck

Tell the crew exactly what is in the flat bundles. Frames should travel upright, leaning against a stable load such as a wardrobe or a mattress, and strapped so they cannot slide. Never put frames under a sofa or a heavy box. Put them in last and take them out first, so nothing is stacked on top.

For the order of work across a whole home, see moving a four-bedroom family house in Lagos: a room-by-room plan.

At the new home

Unpack frames in the room where they will hang. Check the glass and corners before you throw away the packing, and keep a few cartons in case you have to claim a problem with the driver straight away. Decide the hanging spots with a pencil on the wall, then fix the hooks.

How to do this on Sphere

Open the Sphere app and choose a pickup van or a truck for the full house. In the load description, list the frames: "6 framed pictures, 3 canvases, 1 large mirror, wrapped and boxed", and say they are fragile. Propose a price, and nearby verified drivers accept or send counter-offers. Agree loading and offloading help with the driver before you accept an offer. If you have a whole house to move, see house moving in Lagos.