Combating the dangers of humidity in museums and galleries
The effort that goes into preserving historical artefacts, priceless artworks and other unique collections is monumental. Especially in spaces open to the public, such as museums and galleries. However, this care and attention to detail can all be undone when the conditions inside a building are not maintained at optimum levels.
The effort that goes into preserving historical artefacts, priceless artworks and other unique collections is monumental. Especially in spaces open to the public, such as museums and galleries. However, this care and attention to detail can all be undone when the conditions inside a building are not maintained at optimum levels.
Whether they are in storage or on display, these treasured items are always at risk from fluctuating humidity levels. And, unsurprisingly, repairing any damage is usually expensive and complicated, or simply not possible at all.
How humidity is affecting your collection
Museums and galleries house items made from a huge variety of materials that all react in their own way to their environment.
In a dry atmosphere, some items will become brittle and less able to replenish their optimum moisture levels. Conversely, when there is too much moisture in the air, mould and mildew is likely to form, especially on natural materials such as leather.
The key to protecting your collections from humidity damage is to maintain a consistent relative humidity (RH) level throughout your building. However, many larger museums and galleries will need to implement dehumidification systems that create microclimates in certain areas of their building to optimise the conditions for the items displayed there. The infographic below shows the optimum RH% and temperature for some of the most common materials found in museums and galleries.
MATERIALS | RH% | T (°C) |
| Iron armours, weapons | <40 | 19 – 24 |
Bronze | <45 | 19 – 24 |
| Ivories, bones | 45 – 60 | 19 – 24 |
Paper, papier-mache | 50 – 60 | 19 – 24 |
| Anatomical collections | 40 – 60 | 19 – 24 |
| Mineralogical collections, marble, stone | 45 – 60 | <30 |
| Cowhide, leather, parchment | 50 – 60 | 19 – 24 |
| Albums, magnetic tapes | 40 – 60 | 10 – 24 |
| Herbariums, botanical collections | 40 – 60 | 19 – 24 |
| Video tapes | 30 – 50 | -5 – 15 |
| Photographs | 20 – 30 | 02 – 20 |
| Insects and entomological collections | 40 – 60 | 19 – 24 |
| Oriental lacquers | 50 – 60 | 19 – 24 |
| Wood | 40 – 65 | 19 – 24 |
| Printed wood, polychrome | 45 – 65 | 19 – 24 |
| Paint on canvas | 45 – 60 | 19 – 24 |
| Paint on wood | 5 – 60 | 19 – 24 |
| Books, manuscripts | 45 – 55 | 19 – 24 |
Related products
Wall-mounted/floor-standing dehumidifiers
The energy-efficient and quiet CDF range of powerful dehumidifiers is ideal for preserving and protecting your valuables from humidity damage.
Large-capacity floor-standing dehumidifiers
Versatile dehumidifier for continuous commercial and industrial dry keeping applications.
Industrial desiccant dehumidifier
Flexible all-rounder with 177kg/24h dehumidification performance for various industrial applications.
Large-capacity floor-standing dehumidifiers
Versatile dehumidifier for continuous commercial and industrial dry keeping applications.
Wall-mounted dehumidifiers
The CDF dehumidifier is ideal for protecting furnishings and equipment stored at low temperatures.
Industrial condenser dryers
The compact industrial dehumidifier DH 25 S dries up to 40 litres per day.
Industrial drying – desiccant
A series of compact and efficient 4-hole desiccant dehumidifiers made of stainless steel (SS304) designed for moisture control in a wide range of applications.
Industrial condenser dryers
The compact industrial dehumidifier DH 65 S dries up to 80 litres per day.
High capacity swimming pool and commercial ducted dehumidifiers
The DanX AF is a very effective heat pump dehumidification system, which perfectly controls the humidity and indoor temperature while offering significant running cost reductions.
Industrial condenser dryers
Reliable industrial condensation dryer DH 115 S dries up to 312 litres per day.
Industrial desiccant dehumidifier
High-performance desiccant dehumidifier with a large dehumidification performance of 55kg/h.
Industrial condenser dryers
The ultimate industrial condensation dryer DH 145 SH with an analogue hygrostat dehumidifies an enormous 475 litres per day.
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