Book boxes and small boxes for heavy items

The fastest way to hurt a back or split a box is to fill a large carton with books. A small box limits how much weight can go into it, so a full one is still a carry-able one. That one idea explains nearly everything about this carton. Think of it as a weight limiter that happens to be made of cardboard.

At a glance

• Keeps dense items at a liftable weight
• Books, records, tools, canned goods and paperwork
• Pack spines down or flat, and fill the gaps
• Free heavy-duty boxes with the in-home estimate

What small boxes are for

Small cartons are for anything dense for its size. Books are the obvious case, but tools, canned goods, vinyl records, board games, desk supplies and files all belong here. The rule of thumb is simple: the heavier the contents, the smaller the box. The lightest things, such as pillows and lampshades, go in large boxes, and the heaviest go in small ones.

How to pack a book box

Seal the bottom seam with two strips of tape, one along the seam and one across the ends, so it holds when you lift.

1. Line the bottom with a sheet of packing paper.
2. Stack books flat, or stand them upright with the spines against the side of the box, and alternate directions so the load stays level.
3. Do not stand books with the pages facing up. Weight on the pages bends the binding.
4. Fill every gap with crumpled paper so the load cannot slide.
5. Stop when the box feels comfortable to lift, even if there is space on top. Add a light item, such as a scarf, to fill the last inch.
6. Tape the top, label the box with the room and the word BOOKS, and mark HEAVY on the side.

Mix with care

Keep each small box to one kind of thing. A box of kitchen cans and a box of paperbacks both weigh a lot, and mixing a fragile mug into either gives it nowhere safe to go. Fragile pieces belong in a dish-pack box or wrapped in bubble wrap.

The longer reading on books is at how to pack books, and records have their own page at how to pack vinyl records.

How many small boxes

A home with a library, a workshop or a big pantry needs more small boxes than most people expect. The packing calculator estimates counts by room and by box size, and the how many boxes guide gives the reasoning.

Boxes at the Sparks office

O'Brien's carries a full line of regular and specialty boxes, plus packing wrap, padding and tape, at 2277 Glendale Ave in Sparks. The office is open Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, and the number is 775-359-6683. Standard and custom supply price sheets are available on request. The estimator who visits your home brings the gift of 10 free heavy-duty boxes, yours to keep, which are a sturdy start for books and tools.