Whether you’re an artist, a gallery owner or art collector, there might come a time when you need to store some of your artwork and paintings. And the last thing you would want is for any of it to become damaged.
Experts concur storing artwork inside a home, gallery, art school or artist workspace is optimal to protect against dreaded humidity, dust, dirt, mold and drastic temperature changes. However, if space is limited, then storing paintings and other art pieces inside mobile storage containers is a great option.
All you need to do is take some preventative measures – just as you if you were storing wood furniture or musical instruments – to make sure your precious artwork remains intact and isn’t subjected to damage such as cracking, warping, fading, scratches, creasing, folding, bending, fingerprints and smudges.
How to Store Art in Portable Containers
To help guard the longevity and value of your art, the storage experts at A.B. Richards – the leading supplier of ground-level storage containers in the Northeast since 1982 – wanted to share these tips for storing your artwork and paintings in portable storage containers:
- Let any fresh paintings cure before attempting to store them.
- Carefully clean artwork with a fresh microfiber cloth to remove dust.
- Apply a dab of oil to metal objects to avoid rust.
- Polish wood frames and components.
- Wrap framed paintings either in tissue paper, towels, breathable sheets or blankets or foam – or in very loose plastic wrap, if you must – to allow air circulation and protect against mold.
- Put unframed paintings inside specific preservation containers.
- Consider rolling unframed paintings and putting them inside diameter tubes to ensure against crushing or distortion.
- Place smaller paintings inside flat file cabinets with a layer of archival paper or foam board in between them.
- Place two-dimensional art pieces in vertical, padded painting racks or on wooden pallets and/or shelves that are checked for insects and then covered in scrap carpet and wrapped in plastic.
- Store artwork vertically in order of smallest to largest.
- Put three-dimensional pieces on padded metal shelving, with the heaviest works on the bottom shelves.
- Always use acid-free storage materials. If not, then use corrugated cardboard.
- Give your artwork enough space to breathe and for proper air circulation.
- Consider putting a hygrometer or humidistat to gauge humidity levels inside the mobile storage units. If the humidity level increases, then further consider putting a dehumidifier inside to decrease it.
- Designate a place on premises where the portable storage units are out of direct sunlight.
These tips will surely help you keep your artwork safe, secure and undamaged while in storage in our on-site storage units, which are weatherproof, fire-resistant and lockable. For more information about our variety of storage units, please contact A.B. Richards at (800) 597-5971 today.
Our storage container renting and leasing experts will be happy to answer all of your questions and help you pick the exact storage units that meet your needs, as well as your budget.
