If you have valuable artwork, you want to take steps to preserve it. You might not realise this, but without proper care, your artwork can lose its value and its beauty. To help you protect your fine art collection, here are four tips for you to follow. 

Ensure Professional Restoration

If your artwork is showing signs of damage, don't try to take care of the restoration on your own. Instead, hire a professional art restoration service. Attempting the restoration on your own can undermine the value of your artwork and can cause additional damage. To preserve the beauty of your artwork and to ensure that the repairs are done properly, contact an art restoration service at the first sign of damage. Once you've had your artwork restored, take steps to avoid future damage. 

Keep Out of Direct Sunlight

When you have artwork that you want to display, you want to improve visibility. To do that, you might decide to display your artwork in natural sunlight. The sun might bathe your artwork in natural light, but it can also cause considerable harm. Displaying your artwork in direct sunlight can cause fading, cracking and peeling. Unfortunately, sun damage can be difficult to restore. The best way to protect your artwork is to keep it out of direct sunlight. 

Control the Humidity

If you plan to display your artwork, take steps to control the humidity. Too much moisture in the air will destroy your artwork. If you're not sure what the humidity levels are in your home, invest in a humidity meter. If the humidity level is too high in your home, you'll want to install a dehumidifier. However, if you find that the air in your home is extremely dry, you'll want to increase the humidity by installing a humidifier. A good rule of thumb is to keep the humidity level in the 45-55% range. 

Avoid Skin Contact

Finally, if you want to protect your fine art, be sure to maintain a no-touching rule. The skin on your hands and fingers contain natural oils. When you touch your artwork with bare hands, those natural oils can transfer to the surface of the painting. Unfortunately, the natural oils on your hands and fingers can destroy your art, which is why you need to enforce the no-touching rule. If you do need to touch your painting, be sure to wear gloves. It's also important that you remind your guests to avoid touching the artwork you display.