Greetings all:

And to add another conservator's voice to the mix... I am in agreement with
what Marc and Dave have already said.   Additional issues associated with
this include the construction of the historic building and whether or not it
will be possible to install systems without compromising the historic fabric
of the building either through the installation of equipment or through
on-going operations.  

No matter where you are, it is important to understand at the ambient
climate on a seasonal basis (exterior conditions: temperature; moisture
content of the air, rainfall, etc.) as well as the building envelope.  Here
in the DC area, during the winter the exterior conditions can be such that
introducing even a little bit of heat may drop the relative humidity inside
the building to levels that may be damaging to building fabric as well as
collections - the response to this may be "let's introduce some
humidification during the winter", but this can exacerbate damage to the
building fabric.  There also are periods when the moisture content of the
outside air is elevated to levels that are dangerous to the building fabric
as well as to collections: some of these periods are hot and humid where
cooling and dehumidification is needed; other times can be cool and humid
here only dehumidification is needed.  All of this needs to be considered
when considering installation of systems into an existing building.  This
can be further complicated by sunlight falling on specific areas of the
building causing localized interior conditions as well as typical operations
inside of the building (i.e. office equipment; washer-dyers for collections
management and maintenance, etc.)

Then there are issues associated with the types of equipment required and
where does it equipment go?  Is there sufficient space for it inside of the
building or will construction of some sort of outbuilding be required?  How
will the conditioned air be distributed through the building?  What are
options for energy to power the system?  How much will it cost to operate
(very important these days with escalating energy costs)?  How about
maintenance access and cost?  There are just some of the issues that are
discussed when planning systems improvements.

But the first step is to know what you have and what you are trying to
protect:  it is critical to have an understanding of the comportment of the
building and the performance of its systems in moderating the exterior
climate over a full year; also what is the building envelope; what are the
vulnerabilities of the collections; how are they used.  This type of
planning can be done in-house, but the building diagnostic is very technical
and more often will require outside expertise.  I believe that it is best
done by a collaborative team comprised of a preservation engineer with
demonstrated experience with museum climate issues and understands envelopes
(not just someone who designs and installs systems), a collections
conservator with demonstrated experience in climate management and building
issues, and the organization's collections and facilities staff.   A number
of the granting agencies will fund planning efforts of this type.

I hope this helps.

Wendy Claire Jessup
Conservator 
Wendy Jessup and Associates, Inc.
Care of Cultural Property
933 N. Kenmore Street, Suite 323
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 522-2801
Fax: (703) 522-2802
www.collectioncare.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf
Of Marc A Williams
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 4:59 PM
Subject: Re: Ballpark figure for HVAC in historic house

Tracey,

I agree completely with David. I have seen estimates for historic houses
from engineers of $150,000 for HVAC systems, when low tech approaches (and
residential philosophies) would cost more like $10-20,000.  We need more
info from you.  Are you talking of replacing just an existing heat/cooling
plant, and keeping all of the existing heat/cooling distribution network
(ducts, radiators), or are you starting from scratch and need everything?
Are your goals to preserve collections or to provide human comfort?
Unfortunately, in most historic houses (unless they have been already
compromised by alterations), one or the other must be the primary design
criteria.  If you can fill us in a bit more, we can give you further advice.

Marc

American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
     4 Rockville Road
     Broad Brook, CT 06016
     www.conservator.com
     860-386-6058

*Collections Preservation Consultation
*Conservation Assessments & Surveys
*Environmental Monitoring & Low-Tech Control
*Moisture Management Solutions
*Collections in Historic Structures
*Collections Care Grant Preparation
*Conservation Treatment of:
     Furniture
     Painted Wood
     Horse-Drawn Vehicles
     Architectural Interiors

Marc A. Williams, President
     MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
     Former Chief Wooden Object Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
     Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)



-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On
Behalf Of David Harvey
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 3:29 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [MUSEUM-L] Ballpark figure for HVAC in historic house


Tracey,

A lot more information is needed to get any kind of estimate that
would be even accurate or approximate.

If you have not done so you need to have a full assessment of the
current environment within the structure, the engineering issues
(ducting, central power, water, drains, etc.), and architectural
issues. The best HVAC installations within historic structures blend
these disciplines into a comprehensive plan and that is what generates
the specifics needed for a project budget.

A frim that just does HVAC installations will have a tendency to
oversell what you may actually need. And there have been a number of
low cost solutions to environmental control that can be considered
before or in concert with any major HVAC project.

You are far, far better off in getting grants and funding to do the
research and studies first.

And environmental control via an HVAC system just isn't a matter of
turning it on and letting it run. Sysytem, particularly new ones, need
a shake-down period as well as a program in place to "ramp" the RH in
the weeks between the dryest season in Winter and the most humid
period in the summer and then back to Winter again. I dealt with HVAC
issues and new systems when I was at Colonial Williamsburg some years
ago - so I am familiar with the general climate and region where your
musuem is located.

If you need a referral for a knowledgable conservator to consult with
feel free to contact me off of the list.

Cheers!
Dave

David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, CA


On 1/23/08, Tracy Sullivan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Hi everyone. We are interested in installing an HVAC system in our
facility, a 3-
> story historic house dating to 1785. I have no concept of how much such a
> thing would cost. Could anyone give me ballpark estimates based on their
own
> experiences? Also, if you could recommend a company in the Washington, DC
> area, that would be great.
>
> As always, your help is much appreciated.
>
> Thanks
> Tracy Sullivan
>
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