Connecting to Collections Care

Dear Community,
The Worcester Art Museum is planning to transform a space into an Art Receiving Room and Temporary Storage. The space currently has oak floors. Concrete floors are not an option, and I am wondering if anyone has experience using tile for an Art Receiving Room and Temporary Storage? If so, I am curious to know if you have any material recommendations (ceramic?) and sources? 

Thank you so much in advance for your kind consideration, 

Warmly, Eliza

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Eliza Spaulding
Paper Conservator
Worcester Art Museum
Auburndale MA
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Hi Eliza,
As the acting C2C Care Community Monitor, I'd like to thank you for posting this question to the community. Although the C2C Care program does not endorse any particular manufacturer or product, I hope members will contribute their recommendations for a safe, low/no VOC emitting products for flooring and sealing. In the meantime, these are the resources/guidelines I've found so far:

• The NPS recommends "Cover plywood subfloors with a highly durable, chemically inert, and stable floor covering such as true wood plank flooring (not particleboard or OSB) covered with a moisture-cure epoxy sealer, or impervious ceramic tiles with 100% epoxy resin grout. Ceramic tiles can also be used over concrete." Chapter 7 - Museum Collection Storage - page.7:10 
• A C2C community discussion from 2015 that discusses the use of vinyl tiles and water-based epoxy https://connectingtocollections.org/groups/connecting-to-collections-care-online-community/forum/topic/archival-storage-floors-what-is-your-floor-made-of-2/ 
• Museums Australia Victoria recommends the use of inert materials: "It is important that all materials used to construct, improve or furnish the store do not
  produce any dust or harmful vapours. Avoid: all PVC (polyvinyl chloride: a plastic) based materials; the use of unsealed wood and wood products; foam or rubber backed carpets and carpet adhesives. In fact, carpets are not needed in a store and their use should be avoided entirely." https://amagavic.org.au/assets/Info_Sheet_8_Creating_Stores.pdf - p. 4
• Materials Testing Results Paints & Sealants     
• CCI's Design Considerations for Preventive Conservation in New Heritage Collection Facilities Appendix A: Coatings lists the suitability of different wet coatings for enclosures and rooms.

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Sharon Fickeissen
Senior Library Conservation Technician
Hagley Museum & Library
Wilmington DE
sfickeissen@hagley.org
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Hi Eliza,

While ceramic tile is great in terms of ease of housekeeping, I can think of two serious disadvantages. First, the grout lines in ceramic tile tends to make for a very bumpy ride when rolling carts, racks, and dollies full of artifacts. Second, ceramic tile can be very slippery when wet, so there is a high slip and fall risk.

Dee

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Dee Stubbs-Lee, MA, PAIC, FIIC, CAPC
Conservator
New Brunswick Museum
Saint John NB
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