Insulated modular storage without environmental controls

Paula Sagerman <redfish [at] together__net> writes

>The Brattleboro Historical Society (VT, USA) would like to use part
>of an old barn for storage of archival materials if there is a way
>to protect the materials from deterioration.  We have paper,
>textiles, furniture, etc.  In order to protect the building
>envelope, we are considering building a "box within a box" using
>insulated, sheet-rocked walls and ceiling.  However, there will not
>be any climate control. Are any materials safe in this situation?

Some years ago I conducted a study of a warehouse facility used to
store museum and archival material.  After collecting readings from
a recording hygrothermograph and an electronic data logger for some
months it was possible to see that, although the open areas closely
followed external changes in temperature and % relative humidity,
the data collected inside a large area isolated by nothing more than
uninsulated, taped and painted sheet rocked walls showed very little
change, and that only after days/weeks of change in the outside
conditions.

Before deciding on insulated walls, it would be a good idea to read
Tim Padfield's Ph.D. thesis.

    Tim Padfield.
    The Role of Absorbent Building Materials in Moderating Changes
    of Relative Humidity. Ph.D. thesis
    The Technical University of Denmark
    Department of Structural Engineering and Materials
    October 1998. Published as a report from the Department of
    Structural Engineering and Materials, The Technical University
    of Denmark. Series R no. 54, 1999
    ISBN 87-7740-256-1
    ISSN 1396-2167

It is also available on his web site
<URL:http://www.natmus.min.dk/cons/tp/phd/phd-indx.htm>

Jack C. Thompson
Thompson Conservation Laboratory
Portland, Oregon 97217
USA
503-735-3942  (voice/fax)




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                  Conservation DistList Instance 13:44
               Distributed: Wednesday, February 16, 2000
                       Message Id: cdl-13-44-004
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