Volara Foam for Museum and Gallery Collections

If you have ever been to a fine art gallery or an archaeological museum, then you know that everything being displayed is well taken care of. All items are protected by glass, plastic, or are roped off. You are warned not to touch the displays, and might even set off an alarm if you are not careful. Before these items are displayed, they often go through quite a lot: shipment, storage, cleaning, restoration. Through all of these processes, they are cared for with white-glove treatment to make sure they stay pristine. In this blog, we will talk about why keeping up with conservation of these items is important, as well as what foam is commonly used to help: Volara.

Things to Consider

When choosing the best materials for conserving collection pieces, there are a few things to consider.

1. Nature of Storage Materials – The first points to discuss for your conservation efforts are the physical and chemical properties of the materials that you are looking to use to protect your item. Some qualities to discuss are texture, permeability, durability, and static charge. It is also important to know if this material will be used for long-term or short-term applications.
2. Nature of Object Being Protected – Another aspect to consider in your conservation efforts are the properties of the object that you are displaying. What is the specific material that the items in the collection are made of? Texture, size, age, and condition of the pieces all play into understanding the care required and the protective materials needed.
3. Nature of the Environment – Humidity, temperature, and light exposure can all have an effect on the items and how they are displayed. If pieces in the collection are not properly ventilated or they are not protected from UV light, this can cause fading and deterioration.
4. Nature of the Purpose for the Protective Material – The purpose of the material you are using to help your conservation efforts is also something of supreme importance. If this material is being visibly used, then it will need to look aesthetically pleasing. If this is being used outside of the view of eyes, then the way it looks may not matter.

Materials to Avoid

As you look for the right materials for protecting your collection, there are qualities you will want to look for in those materials, but there are also qualities you will want to stay away from. What you will not want to use are plastics with added fillers. These plastics can release gasses that can prove extremely harmful to the items in your collection over extended periods of time. You will also want to avoid products with chlorine or sulfur for the same reasons.

Safe Materials to Use

There are many safe materials to use. What is important is doing your research first to see what protective materials will keep your items safe in specific situations. When it comes to foam materials, there are a handful of foams that can be used for different purposes. Polyethylene Foam, Polypropylene Foam, and Polystyrene Foam have all been used, but the best foam for protecting your collection is our Volara foam.

Why Volara is Recommended

First, it is important to define Volara foam. This product is a general-purpose Polyolefin foam. It is known for its strong chemical resistance. As a matter of fact, this foam is FDA approved for use in food and other health applications, which makes it a clean option around products used and consumed by humans. This means that it will also be safe around collections with more fragile items. Volara is a great foam for displaying items, due to its smooth surface, but it is also great for safe storage and shipping. From padding ancient artifacts to a pinning cushion for entomology, Volara’s uses in museums and gallery collections are numerous.

If it is Volara or any other type of protective display material, it is always important that every item in a gallery or museum collection is safely protected from display case to transportation to storage.

At The Foam Factory, we always work to offer you the best in foam materials. If you have further questions about Volara or any other product that we carry, Contact Us today!

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