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FAQ

What is preventive art conservation?

Preventive conservation involves all measures and actions aimed at avoiding and minimising future deterioration or loss of art and cultural heritage items. These 'measures' include environmental management and other specifications for storage, display, transportation and handling.

What is the difference between conservation and restoration?

Restoration is the task of 'mending' or 'reversing' damage, and conservation generally aims to halt any deterioration, and aims to allow an artwork or heritage artefact to remain stable as it is. 

Who uses preventive conservators?

Anyone! From museums and galleries, to those who consider themselves collectors, and more casual art owners. Preventive conservators generally look at how to care for a larger collection, such as a variety of artwork within a home or a gallery space, however, a preventive conservator can also advise and adjust the care to focus on a specific piece. 

Why would I need a preventive conservator?

Perhaps you have already noticed deterioration, such as foxing on paper (little coloured dots embedded in the paper), or your painting is cracking and fading, and so you want to make sure that your work doesn't sustain any further damage. Either way, preventive conservation can advise and adjust environmental measures to ensure that deterioration is halted as much as possible within the limits of your facilities and budget.

I want to make sure my art doesn't get damaged. Can you help?

Yes, absolutely. We can look at how you store, display, handle, and transport your work to reduce the risks of damage. While preventive conservation does not include restorative work, it is in the scope of preventive conservation to maintain cleaning of artwork to avoid damage from effects such as dust cementation (where dust absorbs atmospheric moisture and hardens on surfaces, which is almost impossible to remove).

What materials do you charge for?

Materials can include acid free tissue paper, custom made boxes, Tyvek, Plastazote, pest traps, and other necessary conservation materials.

I have a large collection and my space needs monitoring and intervention. Do you offer discounts for longer projects?

Yes. If your project exceeds 14 consecutive days, the day rate will be reduced by 10%.

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