Conclusion

Overall, the environmental conditions with respect to temperature and relative humidity were not as bad as would be expected; particularly given the age of the house and the way it is insulated (which is to say, barely at all). Generally speaking, the temperature levels were within or below the stated guidelines, with temperatures slightly below guideline-level being considered less damaging than temperatures above the guideline. The office proved to be the most temperate room in the house, although it may not be an ideal artifact storage space due to the more profound temperature fluctuations encountered there (see Appendix A for individual room charts). Regarding relative humidity, the rooms generally stayed within the guidelines for a majority of the time. The only room to have relative humidity levels in excess of the guidelines was the attic, which also demonstrated temperature levels consistently lower than the other rooms under study. This indicates, not surprisingly perhaps, that the attic is one of the least controlled environments in the house, and that further environmental controls for the attic need to be implemented before it is suitable for long-term artifact storage.

Overall, the conditions measured in the house were favorable, with temperature and relative humidity levels at or below the operating guidelines. Note, however, that the time period that the house was under study was only a few weeks in the autumn, which can hardly be said to be representative of year-round conditions. As the environment within the house seemed to be largely driven by the ambient conditions, it may very well be that the higher temperature and relative humidity levels that are exhibited in Eugene during the spring and summer months may very well result in conditions in the SMJ House that are unacceptable for storage of historic artifacts. It is recommended that a further long-term study be implemented to fully test the hypothesis.
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