9/09/2017

Conservation Tips That Minimize The Need For Art Restoration New Jersey Professionals Offer

By Timothy Taylor


If you are someone experienced with collecting good artwork, you know how fragile the pieces can be. Unless they are meticulously cared for, they can suffer serious and, sometimes, irreparable damage. Although restoring damaged work is possible, it is easier and less expensive to use simple measures to preserve their integrity. Professional conservators and restorers agree that understanding conservation can minimize the need for the kind of art restoration New Jersey artisans provide.

One of the most common mistakes restorers see, and one that is easy to avoid, is improper matting. Mat material should have a neutral or alkaline Ph content. The artwork should never to glued, taped, or otherwise mounted to the board. Mat burn occurs when mats, made of improper materials, are affixed to paper works, such as watercolors. Pieces that are not adequately protected from sunlight will fade. Too much light can also cause structural damage to the mat.

If you decide to store a paper artwork, you should never put it someplace where it can be exposed to damp conditions, such as a basement. The piece may get mold, buckle, and eventually begin to disintegrate. By contrast, storing paper artwork in attics, where the temperature fluctuates and can be very dry, could cause the work to contract and make it susceptible to tearing.

Some of these same rules apply to oil and acrylic paintings. They should be kept from direct sunlight and, although they are not preserved behind glass, they should not be adhered to the frame in any way. Keeping a painting in the original frame is the best idea. Even if it doesn't exactly go with your room style, you might reduce the overall value of the work by replacing the frame. This is especially true when the frame was chosen by the artist.

One of the easiest ways to damage a painting is by not securing it properly when you hang it. Old canvas can be fragile and may tear easily if it tumbles from your wall to the floor. You can make sure your work is safe by using wire, instead of string, secured to the backing with d-rings.

Collectors of textiles know how easily they can be damaged if they are left in direct sunlight. Even with protective UV glass, harsh light will damage the work. It is best to hang textiles in rooms with low light. Storing them in wooden chests or cardboard boxes is a bad idea. Wood, of any kind, can stain them and cause irreparable damage.

Free standing artwork has its own set of issues. When they are in an area of high traffic, they may be knocked over and broken. Keeping them behind glass, or on a stand in a large room, is a better idea.

If you are a lover of fine works of art, you will probably be diligent about preserving them. There are simple, inexpensive things you can do to provide a safe environment for your pieces. Artwork, properly conserved, can last indefinitely.




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