By Scott Boone
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| Image courtesy of flickr |
Living in Florida means never having to deal with
snow. That being said, when the skies open up, the rain squalls in the
Sunshine State can be epic. Not to
mention frequent. With that in mind, I decided it was time to
address the ins and outs of dealing with inclement weather when you are fixing
to move. (For those of you moving either
from or to areas where snow can rear its ugly head, read the last two
paragraphs of this blog.)
Which
Way to the Ark?
While we Floridians are forced to deal with the
occasional hurricane, thunderstorms are an all too common occurrence. Especially in the summer, popup storms are
the norm. Some occur in the morning,
while the majority arrive in the afternoon.
Either way, you need to be prepared for both wind and the inevitable waterworks that can occur at the drop of a
hat. Here’s my top-10 list of how to
weatherproof your belongings when a storm is on the way.
1. When
in doubt, wait it out. If the storm is likely to be over and done within an hour or s, sometimes the better
course of valor is to let it pass before loading or unloading the truck. Especially if there is lightning involved,
it’s better to pay for an extra hour of moving than it is to wind up in the ER.
2. Discuss the possibility of a storm
with your moving company. You
need to know what kind of weather could preclude them from moving your
belongings. What’s their policy should a
sudden squall or an all-day drizzle occur during your move? Better you should know in advance what to
expect beforehand than to find out after the fact that you are going to be left
high and dry.
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| Image courtesy of Lowes |
Plastic bins with lids have none of
these problems. If they get wet, you
simply need to wipe them off with a towel
before stacking them in the truck. They
come in a variety of sizes and colors, which makes sorting them out after the
move a snap. Best of all, they never
come apart at the seams like cardboard boxes.
If inclement weather is likely during your next move, nothing beats
bins.
4. Break out the lawn & leaf bags. If you don’t have any plastic bins handy, the
next best thing is to slip a lawn & leaf bag over any boxes that are carried to or from the truck in the
rain. These hefty plastic sacks are also
great for protecting clothes, sheets,
pillows and plush toys. Just make sure
you save these bags for last since they
are all too easy to hole, which would immediately eliminate their waterproof
nature. Since water and electricity don’t mix, smaller kitchen bags are a
godsend for wrapping expensive electronics.
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| Image courtesy of Pixabay |
5. Tons of towels is
another thing to keep on hand should a storm be expected. Bath towels can be pressed into service as doormats which absorb moisture instead
of having water tracked into your home.
Smaller towels are great for wrapping fragile items as added padding, or
they can be carried in a back pocket to wipe off any moisture that is picked up
on the way to the truck.
6. Tarps to the rescue. Since they don’t make
plastic bags big enough to cover your furniture, the next best thing is to have
a tarp or two handy. Should your movers be forced to move your
furniture and bedding to the truck in the rain, an eight x10 tarp could be just the thing to keep watermarks off wood,
not to mention helping you avoid spending the night sleeping on a damp
mattress. The best place to keep a
couple of these beauties handy is to have them stowed ready to go in the
garage.
7. Don’t forget to unwrap. Just
as important, but all too frequently overlooked, is to unwrap everything you
covered with plastic as soon as you arrive.
To fail to do this posthaste is to invite that other form of moisture,
condensation, that occurs in humid conditions.
If left unchecked, condensation can cause as much or more damage to your
belongings than allowing them to get wet in the first place. Mold and mildew can take hold with alarming
swiftness.
8. Consider having your items
professionally packed. While it may cost a bit more, having
your belongings packed by trained professionals is one way to avoid having to
deal with water damage after the fact.
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| Image courtesy of Pixabay |
9. Let it snow!
While snow is a rarity in Florida, if you are moving to or from an area where
snow can occur, you need to prepare for this contingency well in advance. Making a move during the winter months in
most of the lower 48 means not only having to deal with the possibility of snow but freezing conditions as well. Since the back of a moving truck is unheated,
you need to know that anything liquid in the back of the truck will most likely
freeze. If not, there is the possibility
that any frozen liquid might expand beyond the limit of its container. Should this happen, you will more or less
guarantee that some of your belongings will get wet as the frozen liquid
thaws. Better to discard or move
anything that might freeze into a heated car than take the chance it will
freeze in the truck.
10. Frost kills!
If you have never dealt with real winter weather, you are in for a shock. Should you leave your pets in an unheated car
for an hour while you stop for a bite to eat, you may find them stone cold dead
upon your return. Everything from tropical
fish to birds are highly susceptible to
freezing conditions. So are roads, which
can glaze with ice that will cause your car to spin out. Even a dusting of snow can be more than your
Florida tires are designed to handle.
Snow tires are required in any
northern state. Having the wrong kind of
tires could have disastrous results for you and yours.
With over 4,000
moves, Scott's Discount Movers has handled moves of all sizes, including local and
cross country. If you are looking to move your home or office, you can depend
on Scott's Discount Movers to provide a stress-free relocation.
When it comes to dealing with Florida weather, always expect the unexpected.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, Move in good weather is hard enough. I am glad I haven't had to deal with a bad weather move yet but with this info I feel I could do it.
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