A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS FOR COLLECTIONS IN HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Abstract Ideal environmental conditions for the preservation of artifacts housed in a historic structure often differ from the ideal conditions for the preservation of the structure itself. It is important to consider carefully the preservation requirements of both the collection and the building when setting specific temperature and humidity standards and designing climate control systems. For historic house museums in the northeastern United States, a compromise acceptable relative humidity range of 35% in the winter to 60% in the summer with gradual seasonal changes is proposed. Seven specific climate control actions to improve environmental conditions in historic structures are discussed. They include reducing environmental problems at the source, reducing heat to maintain reasonable RH levels during the winter, humidistatically controlled heating and ventilating, and modified use of conventional climate control systems.