Caring for Cultural Material 1

Caring for Cultural Material 2

Damage and Decay

Managing Collections

Managing People

Handling, Transportation, Storage and Display

Glossary

Index

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Caring for Cultural Material 2
In this volume:
– Textiles
– Leather
arrow Wood
– Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Material
– Metals
– Outdoor Collections
– Acknowledgments
Wood
In this chapter:
– Objectives
– Introduction
– An introduction to the anatomy and chemistry of wood
arrow What are the most common causes and types of damage?
– Common causes of damage
– The do’s and don’ts of handling wooden objects
– Some basic do’s and don’ts of repair and cleaning
– Ideal conditions for storing and displaying wooden objects
– General storage and display guidelines
– Coating wooden objects
– Summary of conditions for storage and display
– Wooden objects in Australia’s climatic zones
  MORE ABOUT WOOD
– Additional notes on fungal attack of wood
– For further reading
– Self-evaluation quiz
– Answers to self-evaluation quiz

 

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Wood

What are the most common causes and types of damage?

Rapid fluctuations in relative humidity can result in:

  • warping;

  • joints in objects pulling apart;

  • twisting;

  • panels distorting;

  • splitting;

  • cracking;

  • cleavage and loss of paint and other surface layers; and

  • veneer can lifting up or popping off.

For more information
For more information about the adverse effects caused by fluctuations in humidity, please see Damage and Decay.

Wood is also very susceptible to biological damage. Wood's susceptibility to biological attack from mould, bacteria and insects depends on its moisture content and so can be related to the relative humidity levels of the surrounding environment.

Fungal attack can cause:

  • damage to wood fibres;

  • structural breakdown of the surface; and

  • staining.

Bacterial attack causes slow deterioration of wood, accompanied by a putrid smell. This is most likely to happen when wood is in constant contact with water or mud.

Insects are the most serious pests affecting wooden objects in Australia. Insect attack usually results in structural damage. This damage can be severe.

For more information
For more information about the effects on wood of fungi and insects, please see the chapter on Biological Pests in Damage and Decay. For more information about brown rot, dry rot and soft rot, please see the section More About Wood later in this chapter.

Other damage which must be considered includes:

  • physical damage caused by falls, knocks and continued use;

  • fading and discolouration caused by exposure to light and UV radiation; and

  • burning or fire damage.

 

 

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