Mandy,
Often deteriorated wood in buildings or artifacts need not be "replaced" if the area is non-structural and non-loadbearing. There are various conservation strategies to consolidating deteriroated wood in situ depending on the specifics at hand. There are situations where the wood is just too degraded or is indeed structural and then may need to be excavated out - but that should always been done only after a qualified conservator has examined and assessed the structure or artifact.
Cheers!
Dave
David Harvey
Conservator
Los Angeles, California, USA
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).