Humidity Control in Museums and Galleries

July 20, 2024

In our recent blogs, we’ve been talking a lot about food and drink production, and why quality industrial dehumidifiers are crucial to the production process. This may be one of the biggest industries we work with, but it’s far from the only one.

Today we’re talking about one of our favourite industries; museums and galleries.

The Importance of Humidity Control for Museums

When you’re enjoying a day at your local museum, the last thing you think about is humidity. However, if you can tear your eyes from the fascinating exhibits, you’ll notice that the air is fresh and clear, no matter what the weather is like outside.

With old and fragile objects, high or low humidity will speed up deterioration, making them show their age very quickly. It’s vital that these pieces are preserved for as long as possible, so they can be enjoyed for generations to come. That’s where our dehumidifiers come in.

A well-placed dehumidifier will keep the air around museum exhibits fresh and free from moisture. This protects them, even if they aren’t in a glass case. A small, compact dehumidifier can be tucked away behind or even within the exhibit, so it isn’t an eyesore for visitors, or can be tampered with.

Larger rooms need more than a couple of small dehumidifiers. Multiple small dehumidifiers may seem effective, but damage and wear can be invisible even to trained eyes. The more dehumidifiers you have, the harder it is to keep them working consistently too. If you need to adjust one, you have to adjust all of them. This is time-consuming and can lead to unforeseen fluctuations in temperature and humidity.

Even in small spaces, one system that monitors itself gives you peace of mind.

Our industrial dehumidification systems can keep even the biggest spaces free from excess moisture, without it becoming uncomfortable for visitors. These systems filter and recycle the air in the room, making them more sustainable than dehumidifiers that just bring in outside air.

Cleanrooms for Museums and Galleries

The most fragile exhibits can be damaged by pollutants and other airborne particles and need laboratory conditions to be preserved. If this is what your museum or gallery needs, our cleanroom solutions are perfect. They create the perfect airflow that will keep any exhibit in mint condition.

Our cleanrooms are also ideal for cleaning and maintenance. It’s important to keep your exhibits in the best condition possible; removing them from the museum floor so they can be properly inspected and given a freshen-up will make them look their best.

But doing this maintenance in the wrong conditions is dangerous. We can ensure that cleanrooms are free from harmful pollutants and particles that can ruin an exhibits’ most fragile parts when they are exposed. This makes them the perfect location for storage and maintenance.

If it’s time to transport your exhibits outside of the museum, we also provide dehumidifiers that will control the humidity and temperature inside vehicles, keeping them safe on long journeys.

The Dangers of High Humidity in Museums

If humidity levels are not kept in check, all of your exhibits could be at risk of damage. All museums need to control humidity, but for some it is more important than others.

The exhibits that need the best humidity control are often made from fabric, paper, ceramic, or wood. These include:

• Books
• Maps
• Clothes
• Boats and Vehicles
• Furniture
• Urns, Plates, and Pots
• And many more!

Exhibits made from tougher materials such as stone or metal still need some humidity control, but it doesn’t have to be as localised. Old cars, for instance, can still rust in humid conditions, so keeping humidity levels low is essential.

You may think that bones and fossils don’t need humidity control, but if there are any amounts of fur, feathers, or canvas in the same room, it’s important to keep the humidity levels and temperature at the correct levels. Even geodes and other geological formations can suffer pyrite decay; this is preventable if humidity is controlled.

If the humidity levels fluctuate even slightly, hygroscopic and other materials will expand and contract throughout the day. This won’t be obvious at a glance, but over time will wear out exhibits from the inside, causing irreparable damage.

What Humidity is Right for Museums?

The recommended temperature for museums is between 10-20°C. The exact temperature you choose depends on the size of the room, the exhibits on show, and what conditions visitors will be comfortable with. The latter is crucial to keep in mind; if your guests are dressed for summer heat, a cold temperature inside won’t encourage them to enjoy the exhibits. We recommend around 16°C for overall visitor comfort.

As long as the temperature is within the 10-20°C window, it can be allowed to fluctuate naturally. Our systems monitor the temperature at all times, shutting themselves down to save power, without letting humidity levels rise. Your staff will always be able to adjust our industrial dehumidifiers too, with access to detailed readouts that are accurate to the second. We provide full training services so you and your team can operate any of our systems.

For your storage areas, visitor satisfaction is no longer an issue. This means that temperatures can be lower. If you are concerned about some exhibits being damaged, you can move them into storage where our dehumidifiers will keep them in their current condition for as long as you need.

Of course, you know what is best for your museum. That’s why the systems we supply are tailored to your needs. ‘Off-the-shelf’ systems may do more harm than good, especially if they aren’t designed for your particular exhibits.

We meet with you to outline your requirements, building a bespoke dehumidification solution that can evolve and adapt over time. We’ll also measure and assess every inch of the available space, so you won’t have to rearrange any fragile exhibits to fit our systems.

Humidity Control for Preservation

It isn’t just museums who benefit from quality humidity control. Essentially, if you have any goods or possessions that need to be kept safe from humid air, we have the solution for you.

Our dehumidifiers also work for:

• Art Galleries
• Showrooms
• Public Events and Displays
• Libraries and Archives

All of these spaces need humidity control. If you provide interactive experiences, visitors touching exhibits, even briefly, can leave behind moist residue that can be damaging. However, if the air conditions are kept in check, this doesn’t have to be an issue, and you can provide a better experience for your visitors without any risks.

Why Choose Dehum for Bespoke Humidity Control?

We care about preservation as much as you do and are ready and waiting to help you find the perfect solution. We don’t just work with large companies either; anyone who needs to keep their prized antiques safe can benefit from our dehumidifiers.

We have been behind some truly exciting and innovative new technologies, which have virtually eliminated many of the issues that uncontrolled humidity can cause.

If you need help with humidity control or have any questions about us and what we do, please visit our website www.dehum.com, email sales@dehum.com or call 01926 882624.

We look forward to hearing from you.