Continuing on in the Keeping Your Photos Safe series, another large contributor to photo damage was listed as temperatures and climate issues. In this regard, temperatures can play a huge part in how fast or how slowly your photographs fade. This isn’t just the case with photo storage, but in album storage as well.
The sad stories I heard at a photo preservation class I taught, told about photographs ruined from basement storage, attic storage, garage storage and even storage units at non climate control companies. People have lost precious memories due to completely controllable circumstances.
First, attics and basements are a breeding ground for dust and mold. Period. Those are two things you want to keep away from your precious photographs and albums at all costs. However, beyond the dust and mold, you have the issues of inconsistent temperatures.
Sunlight and heat will cause your photos to fade and discolor. A bright, vibrant photograph will turn ash gray over a period of time, and sometimes that period of time is only a few weeks depending on how high the temperatures get. In addition, heat can sometimes cause page protectors to meld into your photographs and cause the photograph to be impossible to remove.
Although freezing temperatures are not as much a cause for concern, it is still important to take precautions. A moist freeze cause moisture to get trapped between photographs or page protectors and photographs.
For the best results, it is a simple decision. Keep your photographs where you live. In other words, if your house is kept at a fairly consistent temperature, storing them on bookshelves in the living room or bedroom, or even the top of a closet is still the best option. Regardless of exactly where you store your photographs, you also need to take into consideration what to properly store your photographs in.
For other helpful tips on preservation of scrapbooking items, see related articles below, or visit the scrapbooking blog. You can also ask questions, get advice, share tips or build friendships in the Scrapbooking and Paper Crafts forum.
Related Articles:
Keeping Your Photos Safe: Water Damage
Preserving Newspaper Clippings
Organizing Your Photographs: Storing
The True Definition of Preserving Your Memories
Heritage Photos: How To Best Deal With Them