Thank you all for your advise it is very useful.
 Marc they are raw wood. At one point they were painted but the paint was removed before they were given to the museum. With this in mind would you still advise wiping them with a damp cloth or would it be better to simply leave them alone in an environment where the RH does not go above 60%? Also, there are no current plans to put them on display, however if your advise is to not wipe the mold off of the balustrades with a damp cloth would the museum need to consult with a conservator to remove the mold before displaying them in the future?

Noelle
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On Jun 28, 2014, at 4:56 PM, Marc A Williams <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

Noelle,
 
As long as the balustrades are in a more proper environment where the RH does not go above about 60%, the mold will go inactive.  You do not need to do anything to "kill" it.  Personally, I would wipe the surfaces with a slightly damp (distilled water) cotton cloth.   Test a small area first but for most finished wooden objects, this is safe (I am assuming they are not raw wood?).  If you are sensitive to mold, wear nitrile gloves and a mask.  The amount of water is so slight that it will evaporate away quickly and cause no problems.
 
Increasing in severity, you can apply organic solvents on a cloth (for most finishes mineral spirits is the safest, except for wax).  Next in line of severity are fungicidals that leave no residue after application.  Next in severity are fungicidals that leave a residue.  All of these have significantly more risks to both the object and humans and greater potential complications than plain water.  If you keep the balustrades in a relatively decent environment, none of these are necessary and there will be no further mold growth.
 
I also would not put them in the sun.  Not only may this bleach their surfaces, but it also may cause rapid moisture content changes with potential checking of the finish or wood surface.  Please let me know if you have any further questions..
 
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
     Decorative Objects & Folk Art
 
Marc A. Williams, President
     MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
     Former Chief Wooden Objects Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
     Fellow, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
 
 

From: [log in to unmask]" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">Noelle Scarfone
Sent: Saturday, June 28, 2014 5:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]" href="mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] Conservation advise needed

Hello fellow list servers. I am currently an intern at the Fort Sill National Landmark and Museum. I am presently working on stabilizing their archaeological collection. I have encountered mold on some very important wooden balustrades which were previously stored in an inadequate building. They have since ben removed from the storage facility that caused them to mold and have been rehoused in a more appropriate environment. So far I have placed the balustrades in direct sunlight to try and stop the growth of the mold. I am hoping that others have had more experience than I have with this issue and can offer some tips on how I should proceed in getting rid of the mold. I have read that vacuuming the balustrades with brush attachments on a low setting maybe an option. Is this an appropriate course of action?  I greatly appreciate any advise that you all can offer.
Feel free to contact me of the list as well.

Thank you,
Noelle Scarfone
[log in to unmask]

 

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