Pack a table lamp
- Unplug and let the bulb cool. Remove the bulb and wrap it in paper. Pack bulbs in a small box with a cell for each.
- Remove the shade and the harness. Lift the shade off its harness. If the harness is metal, wrap it and pack it with the base.
- Wrap the cord. Coil the cord loosely, tape it to the base with painter's tape, and keep it out of the way of the neck.
- Wrap the base. Wrap it in paper and bubble wrap, then place it in a small or medium box with paper around it.
- Box the shade. Put the shade in a large, sturdy box with nothing on top of it. Pack lighter shades in a nest of tissue.
- Label. Write LAMP BASE and LAMP SHADES on the box and the room. Mark shade boxes THIS SIDE UP.
A lamp is a collection of small parts with different needs. The shade is paper or fabric and dents easily. The base is heavy and may be ceramic. The bulb is thin glass. Packing them together invites trouble; packing them apart takes a few extra minutes.
Shades need space, not weight
Fabric and paper shades take any dent and hold it. A shade box is mainly air, and nothing else should go in with it except a little tissue. Shades can nest if they are the same shape, with paper between them. Do not stack a heavy box on a shade box; tell the crew it is a light, fragile load.
Floor lamps and torchieres
- Take off the shade and the bulb, and fold or detach the arm if the lamp is built to do so.
- Wrap the pole in a blanket and tape the blanket to itself.
- Pack the base separately, because it is the heavy end.
- Wrap glass torchiere bowls in paper and carry them in a box of their own.
Chandeliers and glass fixtures
A chandelier is a different job. Crystals, arms and chains need to be removed, wrapped one by one and packed in a labeled set of boxes, and the fixture should come down by someone qualified. The guide on how to move a chandelier explains it.
Broken bulbs and fluorescent tubes
If a compact fluorescent bulb breaks, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has clean-up steps that include airing the room and not using a vacuum at first. Many bulbs, including fluorescent tubes and CFLs, should be recycled rather than thrown away. Check the EPA page before you pack or discard them.
More fragile items are covered in how to pack for a move.