Building a room for long term art and technology preservation

Preserving items in a stable condition

This article offers a series of guidelines I developed after researching the best conditions for long term preservation of art pieces and technology. In short, the objective of this article is to provide a list of the best ambient conditions to maintain the pieces in a stable configuration while simultaneously offering a list of materials optimal for preservation.

Stability is the key

For the long-term preservation of art pieces and technological objects, a highly controlled environment is essential. The recommended temperature and humidity levels vary slightly depending on the specific materials involved, but a general guideline can be used.

When you’re designing a room or area for long term preservation, you must always consider the following:

Maintaining steady conditions is key since fluctuations can stress materials, leading to faster degradation. This is specially important regarding temperature, since temperature fluctuation will induce changes in the size of certain materials (specially plastics and metals) which, in the long run, may actually end up damaging the pieces being preserved.

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Ambient conditions

Temperature:

• 18°C to 21°C (64°F to 70°F) is ideal for most art pieces, including paintings, textiles, and paper.
• Technological objects, such as electronics, should be stored at 15°C to 20°C (59°F to 68°F) to avoid degradation due to heat.

Humidity:

• Relative humidity (RH) between 40% and 50% is optimal for most materials. This range prevents excessive moisture, which can lead to mold growth, rust, and corrosion in metals, and avoids dryness that could cause brittleness in organic materials like wood, paper, and textiles.
• For technological objects, maintaining 30% to 50% RH is preferred to prevent static electricity (low RH) and corrosion (high RH).

Air Quality:

• Low particulate levels and filtering of pollutants (such as sulfur dioxide and ozone) are also important.
• UV-free lighting to minimize light-induced degradation.

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Preservation materials

Factors to consider

Remember to consider the following factors when choosing preservation materials:

• pH-Neutral or alkaline buffer: Helps neutralize acidic pollutants that can degrade paper, textiles, and other organic materials.
• Lignin-free: Ensures no additional acids form over time (a natural by-product of wood pulp).
• Low or no off-gassing: Materials such as PVC can release plasticizers or fumes that damage artifacts. Inert plastics (Mylar, polyester, polypropylene) are usually preferred.
• UV protection: Use of UV-filtering glass or acrylic is crucial, especially for light-sensitive items (e.g., photographs, watercolors, and textiles).
• Stable environment: Controlling temperature, humidity, and pollutants is as important as the enclosures and materials themselves.

Preservation materials

The following is a list of materials commonly used by museum curators in order to store pieces in a stable way (basically that means that the material itself will not interact or contaminate the piece).

Museum Glass

Museum glass is often a multi-layered material used in frames to protect artwork and documents from damaging ultraviolet (UV) light. Some of its key features are: UV-filtering, anti-reflective coating, and color neutrality to prevent discoloration or fading.

The reason why you should use museum glass if you’re interested in long term preservation is because UV light is one of the most powerful destabilizing agents of the outer layers of the pieces you’re preserving.

Note that this one is so important that we gave it its own category, instead of just grouping it with other materials like the rest of the materials on this list.

Boards and mats

• Conservation-grade mat board: Provides a stable, acid-free backing or window mat for artwork.
  • Key features: Lignin-free, pH-neutral or slightly alkaline (buffered), often meets international standards (e.g., ISO 9706).

• Acid-Free or pH-neutral boards and corrugated plastics: Mounting or backing materials for prints, drawings, and textiles. Also used for box and tray construction.
  • Key features: Sturdy, lightweight, and chemically stable, providing structural support without transferring acidic components.

Papers and wrapping materials

Acid free and archival grade wrapping materials are a must. Believe it or not, through history, a lot of the damage caused to historic pieces in museums was caused by acidic papers or plastic wrappings that degraded and attached themselves to the surface of the objects, basically gluing themselves to them. This may seem counterintuitive, but we have to consider the passage of time sometimes measured in several decades.

• Acid-free tissue paper: Wraps or interleaves between delicate objects—textiles, photographs, documents—to protect surfaces from dust and abrasion.
  • Key features: pH-neutral or slightly alkaline, unbuffered tissue is sometimes used for protein-based materials (e.g., silk or wool).

• Archival polyester / mylar sleeves: Encloses and protects flat materials, such as photos, postcards, and documents, from moisture and handling damage.
  • Key features: Clear, chemically stable, does not off-gas harmful chemicals.

• Tyvek: Lightweight, water-resistant material used to wrap or protect objects in transit or long-term storage.
  • Key features: Breathable (lets vapor out but not water in), tear-resistant, pH-neutral, and lint-free.

• Polyethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP) covers and bags: Creating dust covers, protective enclosures, and humidity barriers.
  • Key features: Stable, transparent/clear, does not emit harmful plasticizers (unlike some PVC).
  • They also offer non-acidic, avoids contact with potential off-gassing materials, easily labeled.
  • These are important because they’re inert plastics.
  • Furthermore, they’re also useful for enclosing small items like artifacts, textiles, or photos in a protective, see-through barrier.

Archival quality boxes and containers

• Hollinger Boxes: Storing books, manuscripts, photographs, and other paper items.
  • Key features: Made from acid-free and lignin-free board, often buffered to protect against acidic pollutants.

• Polyethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP) covers and bags: see previous section.

• MicroChamber enclosures: Board and paper enclosures with embedded carbon or molecular traps that absorb harmful pollutants (e.g., acids, peroxides).
  • Key features: Particularly useful for storage of photographs, paper documents, and other materials sensitive to atmospheric pollutants.

• Ethafoam or Polyethylene foam: Provides cushioning and support in storage or transit crates, preventing movement or vibration damage.
  • Key features: Acid-free, inert, lightweight, can be cut to custom shapes for artifact supports.

Tapes and adhesives

• Museum grade adhesive: Securing labels, hinges, or small repairs on documents and artworks without causing damage.
  • Key Features: pH-neutral, often reversible (e.g., water-activated or heat-set), minimal risk of staining or residue.

• Microcrystalline wax (Museum Wax): Temporary adherence of objects (e.g., small sculptures or ceramics) to display surfaces to reduce risk of tipping or movement.
  • Key features: Inert, easily removable, leaves minimal residue.

Preservers

• Silica gel: Controls relative humidity (RH) within display cases or storage enclosures.
  • Key features: Absorbs or releases moisture to stabilize the environment, reducing fluctuations that can damage objects.