Do not store or display works of art in areas of potentially high humidity or water leakage, fine art sales e.g. basement, bathroom, outside walls, under pipes. avoid areas where temperature and humidity fluctuate, or where there is inadequate air circulation, e.g. attic and places listed above. do not hang artworks over or under radiators, heating and cooling vents, active fireplaces, humidifiers, and vaporizersa. the hygroscopic nature of wood means that it will take water from the atmosphere and expand, but it will contract as the humidity lessens. art the direction of shrinkage is almost always around the circumference, which causes a solid piece of wood to crack vertically. sales and fine keeping it in a steady relative humidity can stabilize the sculpture; if the wood does not absorb or release moisture, it will no longer expand or contract.

once a wooden sculpture has been dehydrated cracks will appear, where even exposure to high relative humidity will not make the cracks close up entirely. however, conservators can fill the cracks with a variety of materials to create a unified visual impression. what should i ask for when art matting and framing works of art on paper? mat board should be made from 100% rag or lignin-free cellulose. sometimes those labelled as "museum board" or "conservation board" are not of the highest quality. alkaline buffered boards are not sufficient if the board contains wood pulp. photographs should not be matted with alkaline buffered boards as some prints are adversely effected by alkalinity. hinges are used sales to attach the work of art to the backboard of the mat. fine they should be made of art japanese paper, and should be adhered with wheat starch paste. pressure sensitive adhesive tapes sales and pre-gummed tapes should not be used. photographs are often attached to the mat with photo corners.