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Conservation standards
A resource for standards in conservation
Although we are rarely aware of them, formal standards are everywhere in our lives, from electrical plugs to advertising. They have been in use in the field of heritage for many years and are still evolving today.
For the last 11 years, under the auspices of the European Committee for Normalisation (CEN), conservators from many European countries, including the UK, have been compiling standards for the conservation of both moveable and immovable cultural heritage. Some of them concern the care, transport and exhibition of collections.
There are now around 25 such standards published by the British Standards Institution (BSI) with others in development including standards on the process of conservation (decision making, planning and implementation) and on commissioning conservation.
A number of CEN and other British standards along with related documents is listed in the table below.
To order one of the discounted standards, find the relevant code here (members only), click on the standard number on this page (opens the BSI Shop) and apply the code during checkout. Please note the codes are only valid for digital copies of the standards.
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Specifications for temperature and relative humidity to limit climate-induced mechanical damage in organic hygroscopic materials. |
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Indoor climate. Guidelines for heating churches, chapels and other places of worship. |
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Main general terms and definitions. (25% Discount for Icon Members*) Please note that a revised version of this standard is due to be published shortly |
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Packing principles for transport. |
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Methodology for sampling from materials of cultural property. General rules. |
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Condition recording for movable cultural heritage. (25% Discount for Icon Members*) |
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Procedures and instruments for measuring humidity in the air and moisture exchanges between air and cultural property. |
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Guidelines for management of environmental conditions. Open storage facilities: definitions and characteristics of collection centres dedicated to the preservation and management of cultural heritage. |
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Condition survey and report of built cultural heritage. |
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Test methods. Determination of drying properties. |
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Test methods. Measurement of water absorption by pipe method. |
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Guidelines for design of showcases for exhibition and preservation of objects. General requirements. (25% Discount for Icon Members*) |
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Surface protection for porous inorganic materials. Laboratory test methods for the evaluation of the performance of water repellent products |
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Extraction and determination of soluble salts in natural stone and related materials used in and from cultural heritage |
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Transport methods. |
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Glossary of technical terms concerning mortars for masonry, renders and plasters used in cultural heritage. |
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Guidelines to characterise natural stone used in cultural heritage. |
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Cleaning of porous inorganic materials. Laser cleaning techniques for cultural heritage. |
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Integrated pest management (IPM) for protection of cultural heritage. (25% Discount for Icon Members*) |
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Test methods. Colour measurement of surfaces. |
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Procedures and instruments for measuring temperatures of the air and the surfaces of objects. |
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Test methods. Determination of water vapour permeability. |
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Test methods. Determination of static contact angle. |
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Test methods. Determination of water absorption by capillarity. |
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Guide for the storage and exhibition of archival materials. |
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Specification for managing environmental conditions for cultural collections. |
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Guide to the conservation of historic buildings. |
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Conservation of cultural heritage. Methods of measurement of moisture content, or water content, in materials constituting immovable cultural heritage. |
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Conservation of cultural heritage. Guidelines for the management of waterlogged wood on archaeological terrestrial sites. (25% Discount for Icon Members*) |
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Guidelines and procedures for choosing appropriate lighting for indoor exhibitions. (25% Discount for Icon Members*) |
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Guidelines for improving the energy performance of historic buildings. |
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Conservation process. Decision making, planning and implementation. (25% Discount for Icon Members*) |
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Specifications for location, construction and modification of buildings or rooms intended for the storage or use of heritage collections. (10% Discount for Icon Members*) |
*Download your discount code here (members only).
UK conservators are invited to collaborate in the preparation of new standards and the revision of existing standards. Please email admin@icon.org.uk
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Image: Bianca Harvey
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