The stability of the surrounding environment is an important basic factor in the preservation of art, requiring temperature and humidity to be strictly controlled.

Temperature and humidity can fluctuate, caused by external factors, such as the weather or the number of visitors, are a major problem for museums.

Fluctuations that occur repeatedly over a short period of time can have the most damaging effect as the materials do not have enough time to acclimatise. For example, an increase of people at one time will increase the humidity considerably, especially on a rainy day.

These effects may be very visible such as materials warping, splitting or cracking or they can be microscopic but over time will become more obvious. As works of art grow older they become brittle and fragile, and less able to readjust their internal moisture level without damage. Ebac offer a range of wall and floor mounted dehumidifiers to suit a wide range of application. The Ebac WM range are fixed low or high wall mounted units featuring in-built condensate pumps to provide a more versatile condensate drainage system. Portable units are also available and make a versatile option.