5 practical easy to do tips to save and protect collectibles, heirlooms, treasured family items, artwork if you live in hurricane country.

1. Hurricane Isaac - How To Protect Your Collectibles and Fine Art
Hurricane Isaac is bearing down on the Gulf States as I write this. If you
live or work in an area located near the ocean, in a coastal county, or on
the bay, the protection of your family treasures, heirlooms, collectibles
and fine art should be a major part of your disaster preparation and
emergency preparedness. Securing or anchoring down your collectibles
ahead of time will minimize any possible future damage, and possibly
avoid insurance claims and heartache. The following steps are a few
ways you can prevent any damage to your valuable collection prior to
Hurricane Isaac striking.
Prior To The Arrival of the Hurricane
1. Make sure all wall hanging supports are tightly secured. Always
remember; wet plaster becomes very weak, artwork that hangs on any
plaster walls could easily fall. Be sure that any art hanging on the

2. outside walls of your house are properly spaced away from the walls.
Spacers may be bought from your local hardware center or made by
screwing or taping boards on the backs of the frames. If you can, wrap
or drape non-sticky art in plastic to help prevent any damage from
water. Any works in glass frames can be taped, Plexiglas however should
NOT be taped (it will me marred and it doesn’t break anyway). You
should use Museum Wax for helping to anchor any framed art to the
walls. See a video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYJ7FwjcL_E
2. You should anchor down any collectibles (crystal, ceramics, statues
etc) in your home as shown in the above video.
3. If any works should be taken down from the wall, put them in a room
in the interior of your house. Items should be elevated a minimum of 3
inches above the floor on foam or wooden blocks. Any surfaces that are
not tacky may be wrapped with plastic sheets. Stacked works should be
separated with pieces of cardboard that are larger than the frames.
4. If you have outdoor sculptures they can be brought into the house or
properly secured outside. You can protect any sculptures left outside
from sand and flying debris by wrapping them in burlap bags or
blankets tied securely with ropes.
5. List all of the works you have in the collection. Include specific notes
concerning any already existing damage, be sure to include condition
details for the bases and frames. Be sure and secure the list in a separate
location, or even online. If the need for an insurance claim should arise
you will need proper documentation. A client from Virginia Beach, VA
lost documentation and artwork last year due to it all being at the same
place… their claims went on for several years and were never
negotiated to anyone’s satisfaction. Don't let this happen to you, always
be prepared. This last suggestion may be a lot of work but it will SAVE
YOU!

3. If you require the services of a qualified professional conservator, most
quality art handling companies, art insurance companies, museums, art
galleries and quality framers can most likely provide you with referrals
for appraisers, conservators, fine art storage providers and art
professionals near you. Be sure to get second or even third opinions
because many art professionals may not have good judgment as to the
best quality of professional conservation. Remember too that a good
craftsman does not make, necessarily a good business man. So, while
they may do a good job cleaning, for example, them may drive you crazy
with estimates, timelines etc. So, ask around.
Mimzy Allen, Art Researcher and Consultant
Suggestions ustilized in this article came from “How to Save Your Stuff
from a Disaster http://www.saveyourstuff.com Click on “Products” on
scroll on left.
Art conservation questions? Call Scott Haskins 805 564 3438
Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121
See a quick video tour of Fine Art Conservation Laboratories at
http://www.fineartconservationlab.com Leave a comment!
See a quick video on using Museum Wax
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYJ7FwjcL_E