From one of our conservators with Integrated Pest Management
experience...

1) When I lived in Detroit, someone across the street let their house
freeze. About 1-1/2 year's salary to repair the effect of burst water
pipes on plaster, flooring, walls. 
2) Please remember that an adequate number of carpet beetles and other
museum pests survive the outdoors in cold climates. You will not have
solved your problem by freezing unless you have caulked, insulated,
cleaned, and carried out a thorough housecleaning. The insects will
simply reinfest your museum storage in the spring. 

Best wishes,
Ann N'Gadi
Technical Information Specialist
MCI

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of George Harris
Sent: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 8:39 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Building Freeze

Hello,
The collections manager at my museum thought that when we have our
furnace
replaced early next year that it might be a good time to let the
building
freeze to try and kill any pests that are in the collections.  I think
it
is not now going to happen, but some responses she got from a posting on
a
different listserv said that it wouldn't hurt the collections to have
them
be frozen.  This is completely wrong for some types of collections, of
course.  Are there any resources that anyone can suggest that show how
tempreature changes alone and tempreature in cunjunction with its
relationship with relative humidity can damage collections?

Thank you.

Beau

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