I like Mike's suggestions here. I believe that almost all construction
mateirals are required to list VOC's (volatile organic content) are so
in the architectural specs you can specifiy lower VOC materials,
especially in the areas that are collections intensive. Conservators
can also be consulted to review potential materials and perform some
testing for organic acids. The floor tile or carpet may pass, but the
glue may not, for instance.
I always recommend that musuems take a month or more to shake down the
new building. This is not only to allow the building offgassing to
"flush" but to ensure that the building and it's systems are all stable
and in good working order (HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing and drainage,
etc.). One thing you have to be scrupulous about is in specifying that
the contractors perform clean-up that passes inspection and is signed
off by a responsible party. When I was with a major museum and we
movbed into a new collections and conservation building in the late
1990's, we had fiberglass insulation blowing out of the air ducts and
raining down on us every day at work for over a year. The contractor
had left all sorts of debris inside the ducts and with the volume of
air repalcement in the HVAC system it was continually dispersed over
the employees. And it took the engineers months to balance the HVAC
system between the various zones that were established in the labs,
collections storage spaces, and offices.
So, building in a generous shake down period, before moving the
collections in, is always good practice.
Cheers!
Dave
David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael McHugh <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Wed, 14 Sep 2005 11:17:03 -0400
Subject: Re: off-gas
Marielle,
I think it is more appropriate to cite a range rather than an average
time span for allowing building materials to offgas. Factors that come
into play are the collection type and the kinds of building materials
used in the construction. If the building was designed to house the
collection, care should have been taken to choose building materials
that have a minimum amount of offgassing. 'Green' building indoor air
quality management plans call for a minimum two week building flush-out
period using new filters and 100% outside air after construction ends.
Some plans call for up to three months. These plans are generally
designed to protect building occupants; some pollutants can be damaging
to collections at lower concentrations. Construction schedules are
usually rushed so there are also a number of air testing procedures
that can be performed instead of, or in addition to, a building
flush-out. You may want to reference "Pollutants in the Museum
Environment: Practical Strategies for Problem Solving in Design,
Exhibition and Storage" by Pamela B. Hatchfield, Archetype Publications
and "Museum Collection Storage" by E. Verner Johnson and Joanne C.
Horgan, UNESCO.
Mike
>1. Does anyone know of an average time span to allow a new building
>to off gas before moving in >collections? (Brand new building-all >new
materials) Carpet? (There is not much in the space) >paint? >Other
things to watch out for?
-- *****************************************************************
Michael McHugh, AIA
LEED Accredited Professional
E. Verner Johnson and Associates
Museum Architects and Planners
222 Berkeley Street, Suite 1350
Boston, MA 02116
tel: 617-437-6262
fax: 617-437-1272
http://www.vernerjohnson.com
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed
information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail
message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message
should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message
to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read
"Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
|
