BARBIS FINE ART CONSERVATION

disaster recovery

BARBIS FINE ART CONSERVATION

disaster recovery

What to do if your artwork has been in a fire or flood

What to do if your artwork has been in a fire or flood

Time is the enemy when it comes to reducing the damage done to your artwork by a fire or flood. However, never enter an area unless you know it is safe. In the case of a fire, we recommend getting approval from your local fire chief before going into any damaged building.

As soon as possible after a fire or flood, one of the first phone calls you should make is to a local art conservator who can provide you with advice and emergency services. They will be able to give you specific guidance tailored to your situation that will help save as much of your art collection as possible. In addition, they can also help you to move your artwork, photographs and other important documents to a safe location were no further damage can take place. Once your artwork is secure, a conservator will work with you and your insurance company to come up with a plan to clean and restore your collection.

Any works of art or books that survive a fire or flood relatively intact are candidates for restoration. Do not throw anything out until a conservator has looked at it – you may be surprised at how much of your collection can be saved. It is also important to know that having someone other than a qualified conservator try to fix or clean your artwork often results in even more damage being done.

In many disaster situations, there is the possibility that your artwork may have been exposed to water in one form or another. This is especially true for fires because the water used to put a fire out turns into a superheated steam that penetrates just about everything in the entire building. Once wet or damp, your artwork becomes a perfect breeding ground for mold.

For those of us who live in cold climates, frozen pipes are also a source of water damage. Although it is tempting to get the heat back on as soon as possible, we recommend first removing any damaged art in its frozen condition and having a conservator treat it under controlled conditions. We also recommend moving any unaffected art, books and other items to a safe area outside of the flood zone.

Time is the enemy when it comes to reducing the damage done to your artwork by a fire or flood. However, never enter an area unless you know it is safe. In the case of a fire, we recommend getting approval from your local fire chief before going into any damaged building.

As soon as possible after a fire or flood, one of the first phone calls you should make is to a local art conservator who can provide you with advice and emergency services. They will be able to give you specific guidance tailored to your situation that will help save as much of your art collection as possible. In addition, they can also help you to move your artwork, photographs and other important documents to a safe location were no further damage can take place. Once your artwork is secure, a conservator will work with you and your insurance company to come up with a plan to clean and restore your collection.

Any works of art or books that survive a fire or flood relatively intact are candidates for restoration. Do not throw anything out until a conservator has looked at it – you may be surprised at how much of your collection can be saved. It is also important to know that having someone other than a qualified conservator try to fix or clean your artwork often results in even more damage being done.

In many disaster situations, there is the possibility that your artwork may have been exposed to water in one form or another. This is especially true for fires because the water used to put a fire out turns into a superheated steam that penetrates just about everything in the entire building. Once wet or damp, your artwork becomes a perfect breeding ground for mold.

For those of us who live in cold climates, frozen pipes are also a source of water damage. Although it is tempting to get the heat back on as soon as possible, we recommend first removing any damaged art in its frozen condition and having a conservator treat it under controlled conditions. We also recommend moving any unaffected art, books and other items to a safe area outside of the flood zone.