Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

278 Conservation of Furniture
remain undetected for longer. Furniture in
store should be easily accessible to reduce the
likelihood of damage to artefacts and staff. To
help achieve this, lighter weight furniture can
be placed in single rows on metal shelf units
with heavier pieces on lower levels or raised
slightly off the floor on portable platforms or
pallets. Oversized items (such as panels,
woodwork elements and chandeliers) may
require racks or customized shelving. Small
items, including removed upholstery and
fabric samples, can be stored in furnishing
textile storage cabinets or in conservation
grade boxes with lids on shelves. Good
labelling of both objects and storage locations
is important for efficient retrieval and to help
avoid unnecessary handling of objects. The
use of (Polaroid ® ) photo-labels on the shelves
assists in locating and replacing pieces within
the storeroom and provides a back-up system
to main location records. Application of
adhesive labels directly to objects is not
recommended since they may be impossible
to remove without damage. Painted accession
numbers in an agreed, consistent location are
preferable. For further information on labelling
see the MDA fact sheets listed in the bibliography
or at www.mda.org.uk/facts.htm.
Floors and work surfaces should be kept
clear and dust-free and the rubbish bin should
be emptied regularly and frequently. A ready
supply of wipes and a vacuum cleaner within
the store assist the regular cleaning of floors
and surfaces and the habitual cleaning of
shelving below artefacts whenever items are
removed, for example for photography,
conservation, or display. It is useful to have
an area of floor reserved in the store with a
table and trestles, large enough to allow for
storeroom examination of objects.
To keep out light and dust, it is desirable
to keep objects covered whenever practicable,
especially in storage and after cleaning.
Factors that need to be considered when
selecting materials for storage and packing
include the possibility of reaction with objects,
ease of working, air exchange, flammability,
protection from water damage, ease of cleaning
and cost. Conservation grade materials are
generally the safest and offer the best performance.
Materials used to make covers that will
require to be washed should be pre-shrunk.
Covers of down proof cotton, Gortex ® ,
Kevlar ® , Nomex ® or Tyvek ® can be used to
protect from light and dust while allowing
ventilation round the object. Polyethylene
sheeting is often used to cover furniture in
storage but it has some disadvantages. Static
may cause the dust to cling to the covers and
this is easily transferred to the object.
However, anti-static treatments are available.
In theory condensation can also occur,
although this does not normally happen if
temperatures are maintained within reasonable
limits. In the event of fire, heat may melt the
plastic onto the object before other damage
occurs. However a fire retardant polythene is
now available.
A programme of producing cloth covers for
use on objects in storage, especially for upholstered
items, can be planned and budgeted
for. Storage covers that are loose fitting and of
simple construction with simple closures (e.g.
tape ties) help to minimize handling by allowing
simple fitting and removal. To protect
delicate surfaces from abrasion storage covers
may be lined with a material with a smooth
slippery surface such as undyed, de-gummed
silk or scoured rayon. Very fragile pieces may
require a self-supporting armature to prevent
the storage cover from touching the object
surfaces. These can be made quite simply of
acid free card, acrylic sheet material or of
polypropylene plumbing pipe and joints; all of
these materials can be worked with simple
hand tools. Each cover should be clearly
labelled to uniquely identify the object underneath.
If desired the object name, institution
name, front, back, fragility and if necessary
instructions on the application of the cover
and the handling of the object can be included
in the label. Machine embroidered labels are
preferred as these allow the covers to be
either laundered or solvent cleaned without
the loss of the information – extremely important
when bulk cleaning of covers is undertaken.
When large numbers of covers are
handled, for example for closed seasons in
historic houses, a system of colour coding
using either fast dyed threads to make the
labels or fast dyed tapes may be found
helpful.
Covers should be dry cleaned or laundered
regularly, perhaps twice a year as part of a
regular storeroom cleaning programme. Where
polyethylene bags are used as covers these are