The small art museum for which I worked for 11 years had a similar
situation with gallery walls plastered, in some cases over brick outside
walls. Hanging frequently changing exhibits on the outside (uninsulated)
walls was a problem, but never from condensation. Often the brick
presented a -too hard to hammer into- surface, and also had tendency to
relax hold on the nail and actually drop the picture. Not good!

The best solution we found was to mount 3/4" particle board on the walls
and cover it with a forgiving surface of fabric (we used burlap) or napped
carpet or woven sisal type of floor covering. Nail/screw holes are easily
hidden if they ever show up, and the particle board never lets go.

Carol Morgan
Lancaster, PA


Peter Read, Senior Museum Assistant
West Coast Historical Museum, Hokitika, New Zealand asked:

"I feel uncomfortable about this decision for two main reasons: We are
currently in the midst of the restoration of a Carnegie Library building
to serve as an extension to our museum. One of the rooms in this building
will become a gallery for hosting temporary and travelling exhibitions. It
was intended to line the walls of this gallery with Gib.
board to enable us to hang artworks. However I have now been told that it
is too expensive to proceed with batoning and lining the external gallery
walls. The plastered brickwork will be repaired and painted but will
remain unlined.

1. I fear a potential condensation problem on these unlined external
walls.
2. I foresee potential difficulties in hanging paintings on the walls
without being allowed to hammer some form of hanger or fastener into the
plaster and being able to reposition hangers/fasteners for each new
exhibition without damaging the plasterwork."