When you are planning to move houses, the last thing on your mind will be how to safeguard your packing boxes against various extreme weather conditions! You probably did not think of it up until now, when you just read this article, but getting caught in the rain or being exposed to moisture can really damage your moving cartons, which can further cause damage to the things that are kept inside them. Not only does weatherproofing your cardboard boxes make them resistant to damage against rain, it also provides an additional layer of safety against other elements of nature such as humidity, moisture and the suchlike. This is especially useful if you don’t plan to unpack your cartons immediately after you move into the new home. It will allow you to store your cartons and unpack them slowly, at your own pace, without worrying about how the items inside might get affected. The good news is that it is fairly easy to weatherproof your moving boxes on your own. If you are going to buy boxes, and haven’t purchased them yet, it does make sense to look for ones that have been laminated or treated with wax to make them waterproof. However, if you already have the boxes with you and want to weatherproof those, use the following tips. The first step to do is collect a few necessary materials and tools. You’ll need a few old newspapers or cloth pieces you don’t mind getting dirty, an elastomeric waterproof coating (this will be a rubberised coating) and a paintbrush or a painting roller to be able to coat the cardboard. The first step is to get everything ready. This means you should arrange your tools and materials as well as the cardboard boxes to be treated. It would be advisable to work outside the house, or if you cannot work outside the house then pick an airy room with open windows and doors, because the waterproof coating releases fumes you should avoid as much as possible. Pick a spot you want to work in and lay the old newspapers or cloth pieces on the ground to prevent any spills and stains from spoiling the floor. If you’re working on a table or some other surface, cover that properly too. Take the paintbrush or the paint roller and dip it into the rubberised coating. Tap off any excess you might have picked up and start applying the coating all over the cardboard. Unless you can open up the cardboard completely, and not just flatten it out, you will probably have to paint the cardboard in its box form. This might take a bit of time, but make sure you paint both the inside and the outside, as both surfaces can get damaged by moisture, etc. Apply the rubberised coating in smooth, even strokes. Try painting long vertical strokes and be careful not to miss any portions. Go over the portions between each stroke and add an overlapping layer just to make sure you do not miss any spots. You need to give the cardboard enough drying time for the coating to become completely sealed in. There will be instructions on the box you get the coating material in, specifying just how much drying time is needed. Make sure you follow the same, and throw in an extra couple of hours for good measure. If you want to add some more fortification to the cardboard boxes, you can also affix self-laminating sheets to the surfaces. These can be easily bought from most crafts and office supply shops. Make sure you buy the correct size otherwise you’ll have to spend a lot of time snipping them down or adding extra layers. Each side of the cardboard will have to be kept between two laminating sheets. One of the sheets will have adhesive on one side. Pull off the layer covering the adhesive and rub it with your hand to attach it firmly to the cardboard. Press both sheets firmly so that they get stuck to the cardboard properly.