How To Properly Pack A Flat Screen TV
Your TV is one of the largest appliances in your home, and also one that is fairly fragile despite its large size. This means that when you are moving to a new home, your flat screen TV is at particular risk of becoming damaged. Luckily, there are a number of things that you can do to make sure that your TV arrives at your new home as good as new.
Break it Down
The first thing that you should do to prepare your TV for moving day is to dismount it and dismantle as many parts as you can. This means unscrewing the wall mount if you have one, disassembling the TV stand, and removing any extra attached wires. If the power cord can be detached from the television, you should tie it together with elastic bands and move it in a separate box to prevent it from scratching the screen of your TV. If it can't be detached, be sure to tape it to the back of the TV so it won't move around while in transit.
Proper Packing
Ideally, you will still have the box that your TV originally came in to ensure a tight fit. However, this is not always the case - fortunately, most storage and moving supply stores will sell boxes that are roughly the right size for a television. Be sure to wrap the TV in a moving blanket, bubble wrap, or another type of cushioning. Be sure to secure the padding with tape to the back (not the screen) of your TV. Then, fill up all of the extra space within the box to prevent the TV from shifting around while in transit, reducing the risk of damage.
Moving
Never move a large flat screen TV by yourself. Even if it is light enough for you to pick up, the unwieldy shape of TVs make it easy to suddenly and unexpectedly drop it, which can crack your screen or otherwise damage your TV. Instead, make use of a dolly (taking care to strap your TV in place) or move it by hand with at least one other person for best results. Place your television in your moving truck standing upright: placing it laying flat can greatly increase the risk of your screen breaking since you open up the possibility of a small item falling on your screen. Ideally, you'll want to use the moving straps within your moving truck to hold the box in place, or otherwise store the box in such a way that it is sure not to fall over or otherwise shift while the truck is moving.
For more information, contact your local residential moving company.