Stephanie,

More than merely controlling temperature you should be more concerning 
with buffering the relative humidity with these large objects. You 
don't need a huge state of the art HVAC system - you can swing and ramp 
the temperature to adjust the relative humidity or you can use portable 
humidfiers / dehumidifiers if conditions get excessive. This is 
especially important when you have wood integrated with metal. The wood 
will swell and contract depending on the relative humidity - the iron 
will not. This means that the wood will have a tendency to split and 
crack where it is in contact with metal. Iron will actively corrode 
above 40% Rh - You have to lean more towards the more sensitive 
materials - the organics - and look towards a stable RH of around 55% 
or so (unless you are located in an arid desert environment). Mold and 
mildew grow above 50% RH and it really takes off after that - 
especially in humid damp environments. And with higher moisture content 
and higher temperatures come pests - I'd be especially mindful of 
termite infestation - so a good IPM (integrated pest management 
program) is key. I would check these pieces thoroughly beforre moving 
them into their new home so as to avoid carrying any pests right along 
with them. The trouble is, even if the metal isn't getting directly wet 
even mild corrosion will cause staining and paint loss over time. If 
you live in an area near a river or by the sea, or has any possibility 
of flooding you may want to take this in mind in designing the 
foundation - even if it is a concrete pad - this is why basements are 
inevitably bad places to store collections. Also, even though rain may 
not be an issue with an air conditioned metal building, condensation 
might be, in the summer. So you might check on that potential issue in 
your area.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California

-----Original Message-----
From: Stephanie Gardner <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent:         Tue, 17 May 2005 11:30:25 -0400
Subject: New Building for Fire Equipment, Large Vehicle Storage

    I'm writing for information, or better yet, photographs, of museum 
storage
buildings and sheds that effectively house and display fire wagons or
other large wooden and metal vehicles.  The Wytheville Museums have 
three
historic fire wagons that are currently stored in basements around the
town.  We would like to construct a metal building to better display,
interpret, and house them. It would be heated in the winter, if 
necessary,
and possibly air conditioned in the summer.  Security would also be
provided.  My supervisor is considering a small shed-like building with
three bays, for the three wagons.  I would not mind having extra space 
to
grow.  The building would be entered by a garage door and kept closed 
when
the objects were not on display.

I'm looking into preservation aspects of housing wooden and metal wagons
in such a building.  What types of issues have you ran into with the 
large
equipment storage in your buildings?  It doesn't seem like rust would 
be a
problem unless there was a leak in the building.  Do you have any 
problems
with pests or mold in your large equipment storage?  What types of 
climate
control issues would arise with wooden and metal fire wagons stored in a
metal building?

Thanks for any information!

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