Connecting to Collections Care

Hello,

I work at a large, midwestern historic house museum. We are in the process of applying for a grant to refresh our UV-filtering window sashes, and I'm simultaneously looking for new options for our draperies.

Currently, I keep most of our windows covered with a combination of sheers and drapes. Of course, this isn't very popular, but I have been doing demonstrations with blue wool cards, etc. to convince people of the need. 

As I'm looking for sheers, I'm just wondering if anyone has any solutions, advice, cost-efficient options for sheers or roll-down blinds, remote-control blinds, fabric choices, etc. There is definitely a drive to keep these as sheer as possible, or to open and close them often to let more light in (there's a lot of hope for this since we will be replacing the UV sashes). 

Thank you!

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Madelyn Rzadkowolski
Curator
Rochester MI
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One clarification, especially because of my misleading title haha, we will have UV/visible light minimizing acrylic on the windows. About twenty years ago, we had custom, very unobtrusive, acrylic sashes made for our leaded glass windows. They are no longer effective at blocking visible light so we are seeking a grant for replacements.

But, in addition to those shields, we use window treatments.

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Madelyn Rzadkowolski
Curator
Rochester MI
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Original Message:
Sent: 6/13/2023 9:55:00 AM
From: Madelyn Rzadkowolski
Subject: RE: UV filtering sheers

One clarification, especially because of my misleading title haha, we will have UV/visible light minimizing acrylic on the windows. About twenty years ago, we had custom, very unobtrusive, acrylic sashes made for our leaded glass windows. They are no longer effective at blocking visible light so we are seeking a grant for replacements.

But, in addition to those shields, we use window treatments.

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Madelyn Rzadkowolski
Curator
Rochester MI
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Hello Madelyn,

Thank you for reaching out with your question!  I don't have any personal experience sourcing sheerings/drapes, so I've reached out to a colleague to who may be able to provide some guidance. Hopefully in the meantime someone in the community may have some insights on this and will chime in. I'll get back to you shortly!

Kind regards,

Victoria

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Victoria Kablys
Conservator
Royal Saskatchewan Museum
Regina SK
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Hello Madelyn, 

If it isn't too late in the process, I recommend you also consider the options for adding visible light filtration along with the UV filter on the windows. 

You will still probably want drapes, sheers, or shades, but even if they are left open the filtered glass will reduce the incoming light. The extra filtration also reduces heating of interiors from the sun, and slows the degradation/fading of the window treatments. And if you wish the filter can be tinted so it always looks warm and rosy outside :)

Good luck!

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Genevieve Bieniosek she/her
Furniture Conservator
Biltmore Estate, Asheville NC
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Madeline,

I have not looked into them for museums but you should look at solar shade some block 80% to 95% of UV with varying degrees of visibility through the shades. 

I used a brand called Coolaroo on a former house of mine. It was amazing the temperature drop in the room I installed it on. It wwas a big south facing bay window and we could still see outside when the shade was down. They make primarily exterior shades but I know similar fabric is used on interior shades. 

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Anne Murray
Head Conservator
Midwest City OK
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Hi again,

Thanks for your patience. Here is some advice from Fiona Graham:

"Even with new UV-filtering film, you will still want to control the amount of visible light entering most display rooms; visible light causes fading. If sheers and drapes are appropriate to the period, it's reasonable to continue to use this system. The sheers will reduce the light levels (I don't know by how much, however) and hopefully the opaque drapes can stay closed outside of public hours, further reducing cumulative light exposure. UV filtration would be taken care of by the new film. I found one company (SmartSheer) who claim their sheers block heat, UV and cold, but I could find no information on the percentage of UV and light that is blocked. 

Another option is to use solar (roller) shades and drapes instead of sheers and drapes. These shades are made with varying light- and UV-filtering capacities; all are translucent, allowing visitors to have a somewhat hazy view of the exterior. In buildings where aesthetics (historic or contemporary) do not permit draperies, solar shades are often used in combination with black-out shades so all daylight can be blocked when it is not needed. The roller mechanisms can be concealed behind subtle valances to reduce their visible impact. The decision on whether to supplement the solar shade + black-out shade system with UV-filtering film depends on various factors including what is usually on display and the % of UV blocked by the solar shades. 

Roller shades are available with remote control mechanisms and even "smart" controls that open and close them depending on light levels. However, unless some of your windows are heavily shaded by trees or porches, it's unlikely that daytime light levels would drop to the point where you would want to retract the solar shades in collection rooms.

Regarding fabric choices for shades, there are a few other things to keep in mind besides the level of light- and UV-filtration. Consider environmental sustainability when choosing the product; some products are made using recycled polyester, PVC or olefins; some are recyclable themselves; some are made from PVC that itself was made using less fossil fuel; some products are made overseas and shipped long distances while others may be manufactured nearby. From a human health perspective, you may wish to avoid products containing fibreglass. Finally, some fabrics may not look appropriate when looking at the building from the outside; I'm mainly thinking of shades with "metallized" exteriors that reflect more light. There are a lot of variables, but once you start comparing products you will quickly narrow down your choices to the best of the bunch."

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,

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Victoria Kablys
Conservator
Royal Saskatchewan Museum
Regina SK
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