How Dehumidifiers Help Museums to Preserve Their Collections

Museums are home to important historical artifacts, which can be valued at thousands of dollars. But the age of the pieces can sometimes cause problems, making them more sensitive to changes in environmental factors. Because of this, they often use dehumidification systems to help control air moisture levels. Let’s take a closer look at some of the ways this technology can help preserve historical items. 

Why Are Humidity Levels So Important?

Many of the exhibits at museums are made from sensitive materials. This includes canvas, wood, leather, and parchment. These will react strongly to any changes in the humidity levels in the environment. As the air moisture levels rise, they can start to expand. If the humidity is too low, they will shrink. This type of movement can start to damage the artifacts, causing them to become cracked.
 
Due to the age and fragility of these documents, it doesn’t take a lot of variation in the humidity levels to do damage. The problem is that, as people move around the museum, they will be affecting the humidity levels. This is because they are releasing vapor into the air, through their breathing.  Because of this, a museum dehumidifier is used to keep the moisture levels in the air consistent.

There are a few other tasks that a dehumidifier can perform. It will be able to help you remove contaminants, like dust, from the air. It will also make it easier to regulate the temperature of the museum. This element also has a critical impact on the preservation of artifacts. For example, at higher temperatures, they will start to expand. When temperatures cool, the artifacts will begin to contract, leading to cracking. Both visitor movements and the positioning of lighting will have a big impact on the temperature of the museum.

How Is Humidity Regulated In Museums?

Since moisture levels have such a pivotal role in the preservation of documents, museums often spend a lot of money controlling humidity. This allows them to create an environment that will be designed to preserve documents and other important artifacts while being pleasant for visitors. They use a few technologies to do this.

First, they will employ multiplesensors. These will be placed around the room, allowing them to monitor environmental changes in real time. If the humidity levels start to get too high, the system will automatically activate dehumidifiers for museums. Once the moisture levels return to target, the dehumidifier will turn itself off again. This data can also be sent to museum managers, so they can keep track of the environment in the building.

Furthermore, it’s common for important artifacts to be covered by a glass screen. This can allow museum staff to further customize the environment for each piece. It will also protect the artifact from dust and contaminants in the air. Plus, a glass screen will stop visitors from handling delicate items.

Conclusion

There are numerous things that museums have to consider when they are designing their buildings. One of the most important elements is the air moisture levels. By using a sophisticated dehumidification system, they will be able to keep humidity in the ideal range.