A lot of people, upon inheriting or purchasing a piece of art, simply buy a standard, mass-produced frame, thinking nothing of the consequences. As of course, glass is just glass, and the frame itself, while it might not look as good as a more expensive frame, still serves the same purpose.
But this isn’t true. Quality framing can make a huge difference to the preservation of a piece of art, and an improperly framed piece could be subject to damage that results in a considerable loss of value.
Store bought frames tend to be made with very low quality glass. While high quality framing, such as museum standard framing, will be made with UV protective glass, the majority of store bought frames will not.
The backing will often be made from cardboard, which is neither supportive nor protective enough to preserve expensive works of art, and the frame itself tends to be made from cheap materials such as plastic.
What’s more, standard frames are only available in ‘standard’ sizes, yet not all art will fit within the restrictions of these boundaries. Some people have actually been known to trim a painting down to size, in order to fit it into whatever frame is available. This is a huge mistake, particularly when concerning valuable works of art, as the pieces worth will be drastically reduced.
Another common mistake is to place a piece of art into a standard, store bought frame, with the intent of moving it into a high quality frame at a later date. Damage can occur very quickly, particularly if the painting is hung in a place where it is subject to harmful elements such as sunlight. Once the damage has been done there is little, if anything, that can be accomplished to restore the piece to its original condition and value.
While there are a number of very good levels of framing available, if your artwork is particularly valuable or sentimental, you should ideally invest in museum standard framing. Museum standard framing is the absolute best level of framing that is available and it will ensure that all works of art keep their value for future generations by protecting them from UV light, airborne pollutions, humidity, physical damage and acids.
Although museum level framing should last for at least thirty years in normal conditions, most paintings are hung in conditions where they are vulnerable to damage, or are moved locations frequently. Because of this, it is recommended that approximately every five years, a professional framer check the condition of the frames.
Other high quality framing levels include commended level framing and conservation level framing. Commended level framing is ideal for artwork stored in less vulnerable locations, such as a room in a house with limited natural light. This level of framing should protect art for around five years. Conservation level framing offers only slightly less protection than museum standard framing and will protect work for around twenty years.
This post was written By James Harper on behalf of Ironbridge Fine Arts And Framing, experts in museum standard framing.
