Shelley,

The grade of plywood is not as important as the type of adhesives and
wood it contains. Exterior grade plywood in most cases uses softwood
and phenol-formaldehyde adhesives which offgas less than interior
grade plywood which in most cases use hardwood and urea-formaldehyde
adhesives. The exterior grade plywood is a better choice as the
phenol-formaldehyde adhesive is more stable. Where used in close
proximity to artwork, a barrier film product such as Marvelseal would
provide additional protection. Air circulation around the materials
will prevent accumulation of gasses. There are also fiberboard
products out there (MDF) that contain no formaldehyde. (You should
always check what they DO contain). I hope this helps in evaluating
your options as your budget allows.

Mike

>Date:    Wed, 3 Sep 2003 09:53:46 -0700
>From:    Shelley Howe <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Coating for Wooden Bins
>
>We are trying to build some in-house storage bins for our framed
>poster collection. Our budget is meager like all small museums. What
>can we do to prevent the offgassing from the plywood that we are
>going to make the bins out of? We plan to get the best grade
>plywood, but not sure what kind of coating to get and how long it
>will take for the coating itself to stop offgassing. I would greatly
>appreciate any suggestions. We need to move fast on this project and
>be creative with our storage options on a low budget.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Shelley Howe
>Buffalo Bill Museum & Grave
>987 1/2 Lookout Mt. Road
>Golden, CO 80401
>303-526-0744

--
*****************************************************************
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

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