Air conditioning in museums and galleries.
Museums and galleries often house invaluable items which require a regulated or consistent indoor climate due to their age or properties. Air humidification is vital in order to avoid irreparable damage to exhibits.
Exhibits in museums and gallery largely consist of wood, canvas, paint, fabric or paper. All of these materials have hygroscopic properties, causing a reaction to the slightest change in air humidity. A reduction in air humidity quickly leads to materials drying out. Wood, for example, becomes chipped and brittle, whereas paint can lose its adhesive properties and flake off.
A constant of above 50% relative humidity reduces the chance of exhibits and surfaces becoming electrostatically charged. In their