Moving Glass Tables, Mirrors and Display Cabinets

Items this page covers

• Dining, coffee and side tables with glass tops.
• Large mirrors: dressing-table mirrors, floor mirrors and hanging entrance mirrors.
• Display cabinets, vitrines and buffets with glass shelves or doors.
• Framed pictures behind glass and glass TV stands.

For high-value art and antiques see luxury furniture and antique movers; for TVs and appliances see appliance movers.

Why glass breaks during a move

Most of the time the road is not the problem. The usual causes are:

1. Carrying a table with its glass top still on, so the top slides or presses on the base.
2. Laying glass flat and then loading things on top of it.
3. Knocking a corner against a door frame or stair; edges and corners are the weakest points.
4. Leaving glass unsecured in the truck, where it vibrates and rubs against other items.

Our method is built around avoiding these four causes.

How we pack and move glass

Table tops

We lift the glass top off the base and wrap it separately in protective layers, add reinforced cardboard to the edges and corners, and mark it as glass. The base is wrapped on its own and dismantled if it comes apart.

Mirrors

Mirrors are wrapped in protective layers and cardboard, corners are protected, and they travel upright on their long edge. We take down mirrors hung on hooks; mirrors glued or permanently fixed to the wall must be removed by a technician first.

Display cabinets

Emptied completely, glass shelves taken out and wrapped one by one, and glass doors secured or removed where possible. For the contents, see kitchen packing and moving.

Inside the truck

Glass stands upright between flat items such as mattresses or wardrobe backs, strapped in place, with nothing loaded on top.

Be realistic about glass

Good packing greatly reduces the risk of breakage, but it does not make glass unbreakable. We recommend photographing pieces before the move and telling us about any existing cracks. If the glass is very old or already cracked, replacing it in the new city can be cheaper than moving it a long way.

Within the city or between cities

We move glass items as part of home moves within Eastern Province cities and from the Eastern Province to any city in Saudi Arabia, adding extra edge protection for long distances. See intercity movers, and for pricing our moving cost guide.