A year ago we put a new roof onthe Savannah History Museum. Small objects were removed and put in storage. Everything else was draped in huge sheets of plastic (with supporting plywood were possible) and it was all sealed and connected with duct tape or gaffers tape. We even covered an entire locomotive in this way. After construction, we peeled back the plastic, trapping most of the dirt and debris inside. Of course, everything got a through vacuum afterward. Worked for us!  We are anticipating HVAC work soon, and plan to use the same method again.
 
Laura Seifert
Archaeologist/Museum Technician
Savannah History Museum
Coastal Heritage Society
303 MLK Jr. Blvd
Savannah, GA 31401
912-651-6850 (phone)
912-651-3651 (fax)
www.facebook.com/SavannahUnderFire
http://savannahunderfire.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/SavannahUnderFire

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:32:26 -0500
From:    Giles Parker <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Protecting Collections During Construction

Does anyone have any recent examples of protective measures that were
implemented to ensure the safety of larger objects *within* a construction
zone?

We are assisting an historic house with packing, moving and temporarily
storing collections for an upcoming construction project. The rehab work
will include HVAC and fire suppression upgrades that could obviously damage
objects within the 20+ furnished rooms.  The curatorial staff, along with
contracted fine art handlers, are well-equipped to handle the packing and
moving of smaller furnishings and decorative arts to storage areas for the
duration of the construction work.  But, most rooms contain larger furniture
that can not be moved for various reasons and thus need to be protected in
place. Crating each is an option, but may be cost prohibitive. Since this is
an historic house, the same can be said for built-in pieces (such as
mantles, bookcases and sinks) that also need protection.

Please let us know if you have guidance and/or lessons learned that we can
share.

Giles Parker
Museum Curator
National Park Service
Northeast Museum Services Center
617-242-5613 x214
Twitter: @NPS_NMSC
Facebook: Northeast Museum Services Center

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