In addition to treatment of damaged pieces, a qualified conservator helps preserve the value of art through analyses of art collections, maintenance recommendations to prevent deterioration and disaster recovery assistance. Conservators strongly recommend art collectors take precautions to preserve the value of their collection and protect it from deterioration. This is called collection care. To provide collection care it is important to know the agents of deterioration.
Some common agents are humidity, light, temperature, dust, insects and humans.
Italian Panel Painting, 19th C New York State Bureau of Historic Sites Too-low humidity extracts water from some materials and causes paper and leather to become brittle, glue and paste to dry out, and wood to warp and crack. Too-high humidity results in the absorption of water which corrodes materials, generates mold and softens adhesives. Rapid changes in humidity cause materials to swell and contract. Wood cracks, bends and twists. Oil paintings crack and flake.