Efficient humidity control for museums and galleries
Fluctuations in humidity pose significant risks to your collections
Museums and galleries tell the story of history and culture, showcasing artifacts and collections from years past. Whether it's a renowned national museum, a small gallery, or a temporary exhibition, the items on display or stored in the archives are at risk of damage from humidity in the ambient air.
Controlling humidity is critical when trying to preserve and extend the life of artifacts, collections, and artworks. Exposure to high, low, or fluctuating relative humidity levels pose a risk to most materials. Excessive humidity encourages the growth of mold and fungi, which can damage valuable assets. Additionally, incorrect climate conditions may lead to corrosion of metals, compromising the integrity and appearance of items. As well as too much moisture, too little humidity can cause some materials such as leather and clay to become brittle and fragile.
Munters dehumidification and humidification solutions effectively maintain humidity levels to an optimal level, providing long-term protection for valuable collections as well as improving people comfort and energy efficiency.
With uncontrolled humidity you risk:
- Irreversible damage to invaluable artifacts and artworks
- Compliance issues for humidity bandwidths or regulations for collection management and conservation
- Increased heating and energy use
- Total loss of items of historical importance, impacting on future generations
- Uncomfortable climate conditions for people
Home of Carlsberg preserving history with dehumidification
The Home of Carlsberg is not just a museum; it’s a vibrant experience that showcases Denmark’s brewing heritage. During the restoration and expansion of the visitor center, Carlsberg converted several buildings, transforming them from production facilities into a dynamic exhibition and cultural attraction. As part of the upgrade, the cellars were opened to visitors. Since the cellars are below the courtyard, they were heavily affected by humidity and mold. The existing climate control systems were insufficient, prompting an upgrade to a state-of-the-art Munters DSS Pro system to enhance their climate control.
”Today we have the DSS Pro system from Munters and sensors in all rooms measuring temperature, humidity and CO2 level. The system adapts based on the number of visitors. The system operates smartly, combining dehumidification and fresh air. We are very satisfied.”
Christian Løwe, Facility Manager at Carlsberg
Special risks for museums if collections are exposed to moisture
Museum moisture control is fundamental for preserving priceless artifacts, collections and artworks. Exposure to moisture poses particular risks to museum collections, including potential damage to artifacts, accelerated deterioration, and increased vulnerability to mold and corrosion. By selecting the right indoor climate control solution, conservators, curators and other museum professionals can consistently meet the needs of each collection.
Why humidity control matters in museums and galleries
Maintaining stable relative humidity levels all year-round helps protect irreplaceable collections. Relative humidity below 50% typically preserves items such as artwork, leaving them unaffected by moisture levels in the air.
Both excessively dry and humid air can harm museum collections: dry air removes moisture from objects, possibly causing them to contract and deteriorate, while humid air promotes swelling and mold growth. It’s important therefore to understand the material type. Here you can see typical “comfort zones” for different materials, many of which you will find in a museum setting. Maintaining a stable relative humidity—typically between 45% and 55%— will preserve artifacts and preventing environmental damage.
Optimal humidity range for museum materials for preservation include:
- Paper: 18-21°C (65-70°F), 30-50% RH
- Metals: Below 40% RH
- Archeological artefacts like textiles 30-60% RH
- Acetate film: 2°C (35°F), 30-40% RH
- Nitrate-based film: 2°C (36°F), 20-30% RH
- Pottery / clay / leather
Combined humidification and dehumidification with AirC wireless
Munters Flexline humidifier and Munters ComDry dehumidifier, controlled by the Munters Air C wireless [inset link later], provide precise humidity control for a museum archive store of a famous museum in the United Kingdom. This solution ensures long-term humidity preservation by maintaining relative humidity levels within a range of 45–60% RH, in accordance with BSI standard 4971:2017 for the conservation and care of archive and library collections. The Munters Air C Wireless system offers smart climate control with remote monitoring for more efficient and reliable management.
Products - Museums and galleries
Cases and highlights
Learn more about humidity control in museums & galleries
Humidity control in museums
Maintain constant relative humidity indoors with the Munters Flexline steam humidifier. With its intelligent and adaptive control, Flexline releases moisture into the air when required, providing optimal humidity levels and air quality using minimal energy. Modular and versatile, the Munters FlexLine is easy to configure, and ideal for museum environments.
- Optimal humidity control
- More uptime due to intelligent control
- Easy to install, operate and maintain
- Resource efficient
- Create a healthier indoor climate
- Reduce indoor air pollution
- Prevent electrostatic discharge
Munters ComDry NX series are reliable and portable dehumidifiers with superior drying capacity, lightweight design, and 20% greater energy efficiency than most competitors. Featuring a plug-and-play control system with a graphic display, powerful drive motor, AirC Wireless connectivity, service alerts, and kWh meter, these dehumidifiers are ideal for museums. Available in Base and Pro options, with the Pro option offering AirC Wireless sensors and wireless remote control panel. AirC Wireless is a group of devices that can be wirelessly connected to the unit.
- Compact and lightweight
- Advanced controller with Modbus
- Humidity and temperature sensor
- kWh and other hour counters
- Energy efficient
- Options for Munters AirC Wireless remote control and sensors
Protect your humidity control solution with Munters Service
Munters equipment is always backed by our world-leading service team. Directly employed by Munters, our team have decades of experience in maintaining climate control systems across many different industries and applications. With a Munters Service Agreement , you can extend your dehumidification and humidification system's life and ensure a healthy and regulatory compliant climate for both your artefacts and your visitors all year round.
