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Historic homes are symbols of a community’s character and heritage. Their renovation and rehabilitation encourages energy efficiency while reducing the need for new construction and use of raw materials. The National Park Service states that property owners may modify or improve historic homes as long federal funds are not tied to the property and the changes do not go against state historic preservation office (SHPO) guidelines or local preservation laws. When renovating historic homes, it is common for contractors to expect the unexpected. Through careful planning and construction moisture management, contractors ensure their work does not introduce new hazards.

Cold storage facilities are mixed-use environments with office, warehouse and assembly functions. They require the pairing of climate control solutions with cold storage lighting to keep operations productive and workers safe. While the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration does not have standards for general warehouse lighting, it does state that overhead lighting should be “adequate for the task at hand” to promote proper ergonomics. To ensure the lighting in your facility supports productivity and safety, it is a good idea to consult with your state’s specific standards for illumination in workplaces.

To reach store shelves, perishable items often embark on an extensive journey across states and even continents. Making this all possible are cold chain systems with uninterrupted series of cold storage and food distribution activities. The development of the system opened the doors to new markets in multiple industries, making it an export success. The U.S. food industry spends millions each year on moisture control and climate control solutions that allow businesses to prosper. As a result, cold chain systems are vital to global trade and the availability of food around the world.

If a disaster struck your business, how would your documents fare? Unplanned events can have devastating consequences on your operations if vital information is lost. For this reason, document restoration companies recommend that you look to off-site storage solutions. As your business grows, so will the number of documents it maintains. Keeping records you don’t need daily access to at a secure storage facility offers benefits you may not have considered while enhancing business continuity plans.

January 2017 brought exciting news to document restoration companies. A volunteer working with an archaeology team at Knole, a historic home in Kent, England, discovered two letters from the years 1603 and 1633 in the South Barracks attic. The letters, written on quality rag paper, offer a glimpse into 17th Century life as one contains a beautifully penned shopping list with items such as greenfish, pewter spoons, a fireshovel and frying pan. Paper has a rich history that spans continents, offering insight to human ingenuity and imagination. By understanding why some types of paper survived the test of time better than others, you can take steps to better preserve your own documents and reduce the need for archive restoration services.