Examining humidity's impact on wood and metal artworks

When you think of museums and art galleries, chances are the first thing that comes to mind is a spacious room full of paintings hanging on the walls. While it's an accurate assessment, it also overlooks the vast other media types artists work in, such as wood and metal.

Valuable sculptures and antique artefacts are susceptible to environmental conditions just as paintings are, and organisations developing their climate monitoring systems must take the potential harm caused by humidity into account. 

Wood, warmth and warping

It's a well-known fact that the porous nature of wood means it will quickly suck up any moisture in the environment and swell. On the flip side, in an excessively dry environment, any moisture within wood will evaporate into the air, causing the material to contract. While it may seem unlikely that fluctuations in humidity within a gallery or museum will be extreme enough to visibly affect the integrity of items, when preserving items over many years, even minor swelling and contracting can cause significant damage.

The testo Saveris 2 climate monitoring solution can help museum or gallery owners keep much closer tabs on the humidity levels in storage or display areas, ensuring that their precious artefacts and artworks are in the optimal environment. 

Rust and corrosion of metals

Most types of metal are more resilient than even the hardest of woods, but that doesn't mean they aren't susceptible to moisture damage. When exposed to high levels of humidity, metal items may become vulnerable to rust and other corrosive factors, slowly taking damage over a very long time span. 

Even if the integrity of the material itself remains resilient or has corrosive elements that can be removed, microscopic damage such as staining can eventually build to more significant issues. Preserving items in pristine condition is the responsibility of museums and art galleries, allowing visitors to enjoy the pieces both now and far into the future. 

With the testo Saveris 2 system, ensuring each room of your facility remains at the ideal temperature for each item is simplified. Whenever a WiFi data logger identifies a temperature or humidity change that potentially increases the risk of damage, any necessary stakeholders are alerted via text message or email. From that point, it's simply a matter of adjusting your climate control system to suit your needs.

Speak to Testo today about environmental monitoring with the Saveris 2, and protect wood and metal artefacts for future generations.