Preservation Brief 31, Mothballing Historic Buildings

Summary

This is number thirty-one of 42 preservation briefs prepared by the Technical Preservation Services of the National Park Service. This brief focuses on mothballing historic buildings.

This Preservation Brief also focuses on the steps needed to "de-activate" a property for an extended period of time. The project team will usually consist of an architect, historian, preservation specialist, sometimes a structural engineer, and a contractor. Mothballing should not be done without careful planning to ensure that needed physical repairs are made prior to securing the building. The steps discussed in this Brief can protect buildings for periods of up to ten years; long-term success will also depend on continued, although somewhat limited, monitoring and maintenance. For all but the simplest projects, hiring a team of preservation specialists is recommended to assess the specific needs of the structure and to develop an effective mothballing program.

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Cultural Resource Office, Joint Base San Antonio

Repository(s): Fort Sam Houston

Prepared By(s): Technical Preservation Services, Heritage Preservation Services Program, National Park Service

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