Heavy Vs Light: Order of Packing Items in Storage

Businesses, homeowners, and tenants have more self-storage options than ever before. Still, one storage principle remains constant: the order in which you stack items can be critical to keeping your items in perfect condition. 

One of the best strategies for maximising storage space is to pack from heavy to light. This method not only optimises space but also ensures the safety of your belongings. This article goes over the key benefits of weight distribution and how best to approach it. 

Benefits of Packing Heavy to Light

From protecting your belongings to saving money, packing heavy items on the bottom and lighter items on top offers various advantages.

Improved space utilisation: Starting with the larger, heavier items helps you identify gaps you can fill with lighter, smaller items. This Tetris approach maximises the use of available space and potentially reduces the amount of storage required. 

Protecting valuable items: Keeping your heavy stuff on the bottom reduces the chance of accidents, such as toppling stacks that can crush and destroy your delicate, fragile items. 

Improved accessibility: Packing in a logical order makes item retrieval much less of a headache. Placing heavier items at the bottom and lighter, more frequently used items towards the top and front means less moving of boxes to find what you want. 

For example, a properly packed storage container could look something like this:

Top: Light Boxes containing bedding and clothing

Middle: Medium boxes with light furniture, electronics, and appliances

Bottom: Heavy appliances and large furniture

Weight Distribution Principles

Placing heavier items at the bottom creates a stable foundation for the rest of your belongings and prevents the crushing of lighter, more delicate items. For example:

The Heavy Layer

Beginning packing with heavy items sets the stage for a well-organised, accessible storage unit. 

1. Furniture: Sofas, dressers, tables, bed frames 
2. Appliances: Refrigerators, washing machines, dryers 
3. Large boxes: Those containing books, tools, or other dense materials 
4. Exercise equipment: Treadmills, weight sets 
5. Outdoor equipment: Lawnmowers, snow blowers 

A good rule of thumb is to consider any item that requires two people to lift as a heavy item.

Placing Heavy Items

Once you have identified all of your heavy items, it’s time to think about where to place them. The following tips should help. 

Against the walls: Store large, heavy items against the wall of the storage unit. This approach improves stability and prevents items from shifting during transport or long-term storage.

Even floor distribution: Distribute weight evenly across the floor and avoid concentrating all of your heavy items in one place. 

Create a U-shape: If possible, arrange heavy appliances and furniture along the walls in a U-shape. This strategy will create a central pathway to improve accessibility. 

Secure heavy items: Use straps or ropes to secure heavy furniture and appliances to the walls. Engage the wheel locks of furniture that has them. Fill the empty spaces between heavy items to create a more stable environment. 

Protect surfaces: Protect surfaces from marks or damage by covering them with moving blankets or protective wrapping.