Protecting priceless works of art with the testo Saveris 2

In many ways, museums are the guardians of civilisation. By collecting, preserving and displaying countless treasures from our modern society and times gone by, they provide a way to see the masterpieces of artists from all around the globe firsthand.

In light of this, one of the most important duties of any museum is to ensure the safety of its exhibits. This is no easy feat, as many factors can be damaging to artwork. Fortunately, the testo Saveris 2 Wi-Fi data logger system revolutionises temperature and humidity monitoring – enabling more proactive efforts in art preservation.

The dangers of heat and humidity

Two of the biggest causes of artwork damage, which are of particular concern in museums, are heat and humidity. Due to the composition of many works, the wrong environment can be incredibly damaging.

Relative humidity should not fluctuate by more than 2.5 per cent each hour.

Frames, canvases and paint are all susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity – which can cause significant damage. Skilled hands are often capable of repairing such damage, but a more effective solution is to mitigate these risks where possible.

In museums, this means maintaining a proper climate and being able to react quickly if conditions fall outside of optimal ranges. For relative humidity, ideal levels fall within a range based on the type of artwork on display. According to a Testo report featuring data compiled from experts in the field, these levels should not fluctuate by more than 2.5 per cent over the course of an hour – so it is important to keep a close eye on readings for all exhibits.

A solution for effective climate control

Given the importance of frequently checking temperature and humidity levels, traditional systems can be rather labour intensive for museums. If all readings need to be checked manually, a damaging change might not be detected until it’s too late.

That is why the testo Saveris 2 is an ideal ally for proper climate control in museums, galleries and anywhere artwork is kept. Right out of the box, the Saveris 2 can monitor heat and humidity levels without an intrusive and complicated setup process.

Data loggers can be placed all around a museum to monitor entire rooms, specific display cases or even just the microclimate around a single painting. Once in place, the data loggers transmit readings to the Testo Cloud and then to a connected computer, tablet or smartphone in any location. The system can also deliver alerts as soon as measurements deviate from a specified range.