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Save Your Stuff in the Workplace has JUST been delivered! Long awaited by business and emergency preparedness organizations, its exciting to finally have it in hand. Check out the info on Amazon: CLICK HERE to go to Amazon and put in the search box “Save Your Stuff Workplace” Thanks for your support!

Just pulled the 1st copy out of the box today!

Protecting and saving your company’s artwork, collectibles, memorabilia, and employee’s personal items in your workplace is essential, especially before natural disaster situations occur, for 1.) workplace safety and 2.) the emotional response of fellow employees. Discover how these two conditions are of paramount importance for your office’s business continuity and the reopening of your workplace after a disaster.

Reflect on your company’s Mission Statement and corporate culture and discover how safeguarding these items must be an important part of your HR emergency preparedness plan (personnel emotional preparedness) whether you are in a corporation or a government office… and how fun it is to implement!

Save Your Stuff in the Workplace helps you assess your needs and establishes clear strategies for action which you won’t see in any other source! Also included with the purchase of this book, you will receive continuing education to help you and other office personnel to implement and enjoy the success. You won’t have to do this by yourself!

3 BISAC Categories

By Guest Blogger, Terry Wood

I think everyone plays with the idea of having secret places to stash stuff. More often than not, that something is of great monetary or sentimental value, like precious jewelry, rare stamps and coins, family history, heirlooms or even love letters from long ago. It could also be a gun for self-protection or a stash of cash that is being kept aside for a rainy day.

Obviously, the proverbial safe behind the painting may keep most people out but its kind of cliché’ and in a robbery, they will be looking for that kind of thing. So, this article is about concealed compartments that no one can find!

My grandfather squirreled away, in a secret compartment he built into a wall, some time capsule family history/journal notes. They were discovered 50 years after he hid them away, just after his death. They were super fun to find, added to the family history stories and clarified some issues for settling his estate. I thought it was funny that even my grandmother didn’t know anything about it.

There are literally hundreds of places in your house of office where you can hide these valuable items that will frustrate even the most determined of professional thieves or it can protect your things from disasters. All it takes is to learn how to build secret compartments. Of course, depending on what you want to hide, the secret compartment will vary in size… maybe it will be a secret room!

Take for instance the hollow spaces in walls, which are typically sheetrock nailed on 2″ x 4′” studs that run vertically from floor to ceiling and are spaced 16 inches apart. Even with little practice, you can find where these spaces are by tapping along the wall. Then, with a coping saw, you can carefully cut a hole to create a suitable stash between the beams. Just remember that the hole must be smaller than the object that you will use to cover it, like a line of shelves, a picture frame or a gun rack. Here’s a fun video to show you how:

If the item you want to conceal is thin like a few thousand dollar bills, shares of stocks or treasury bills, then you may want to make a false bottom in one of the drawers of your favorite desk. To make a false bottom drawer, cut a liner from a suitable material. But in doing this, remember that the measurement must be exact and you must use the same kind of wood because things cannot look altered. If you cannot find the same kind of material, you will have to repaint or revarnish the whole desk and every drawer. Then, glue a washer at the center and at each corner of the real bottom as well as to the false bottom. When the false bottom is inserted in the drawer, the washers will line up and create a secret compartment of desired thickness. Lifting the false bottom can be made through the use of a strong magnet or inserting a pen in a small hole at the bottom of the drawer to push up the false bottom. Here’s a video about that process:

Other common items that can “double” as secret compartments are books and even the heel of your shoe. An old dictionary, for instance, can be turned into an innocent-looking secret compartment for your hand gun. All you need is a knife to cut out the space in the inside pages for the hand gun, tape the compartment and you’re done. On the other hand, the simplest way to turn a heel of a shoe into a secret compartment is to lift the heel pad from the inside, then carve out a space using a drill and a sharp knife. Insert the object, glue back the flap and join James Bond in his top secret missions. Fun… and useful!

Of course, secret compartments are a great way to keep your valuables safe. But you should also consider other methods such as an insurance plan for art, collectables or heirlooms. Another “plan” would be to keep duplicates of ownership documents, appraisals and the such at another location (a sister to states away from you?).

For more about how to save your stuff, CLICK HERE

Author bio:

This post was written by Terry Wood.  Terry is an insurance expert with US Insurance Net, a site that provides life insurance reviews.

Editor’s note: What can be done to “modify” one of these super secret hiding compartments to make it “archival”? Archival means that materials of the storage container will not add to the deterioration of what is stored inside. This would be important for paper items like letters, certificates, old photos. Here are some tips:

1. line the hidden drawer or box with an acid free paper – several layers.

2. store items enclosed in a zip lock baggie or Tupperware container

3. Don’t make your hidden compartment where it will get extra hot or extra cold.

Making an archival copy of a scrapbook can be easier than you think. But why do it?! Welllllllll…. family members may want copies, the original may NOT be archival and you want to make one that will last, also disaster planning for the next tornado, hurricane or flood means getting physical archival copies of all the most important items (vintage photos, legal papers, family history etc) and stashing a copy in a safe place (like two states away at your sister’s house!).

A couple of years ago my sister, bless her heart, made a huge, oversized scrapbook of part of my Dad’s life. My Dad is getting along in years. He had his 86th birthday this week. As soon as I saw it, the three reasonsI mentioned above for making a duplicate copy flashed in my brain.One problem though… it is OVERSIZED and doesn’t fit on ANY scanners anywhere! So, how do I make a high resolution copy of the pages? I WAS NOT ABOUT TO TEAR APART THE BOOK, scan all the photos and start over!

So, we began shooting a photograph of each page in high resolution digital photography, adjusting blemishes and colors in photoshop and then printing out the scanned pages onto a high quality acid free paper with the laserwriter. Here’s my helper keeping things organized:

Assembling the scanned pages of the newly printed archival scrapbook

Once the new archival pages are printed on the laserwriter, you will notice in the photo that Michelle is about to put them into page protectors, another archival technique. In the end, our copy will last longer and hold together better than the original… but it won’t be so gargantuan. I’ll be making a video on how to do this process but for now, this will prove that we know what we are teaching cause WE DO IT.

To learn more about what you can do at home to take care of your stuff, download now a copy of Scott’s book, How To Save Your Stuff From A Disaster at 50% off!

CLICK HERE to know more: http://saveyourstuffblog.com/products-supplies/

For a news article featuring Scott M. Haskins’s, Click here: http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/media-room/art-restorerconservator-scott-m-haskins-featured-in-life-section-of-newspaper/

For art conservation and painting restoration questions call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438 or faclartdoc@gmail.com

For art appraisal questions call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121 or jrholgate@yahoo.com

See short videos by Scott M. Haskins on art conservation related subjects at YouTube channel “Bestartdoc” http://www.youtube.com/user/bestartdoc?feature=mhee

See short do-it-yourself videos on collection care and emergency preparedness for art collectors, family history items, heirlooms, memorabilia at Youtube Channel “preservationcoach” http://www.youtube.com/user/preservationcoach

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I know my last post was about family portraits but you have GOT TO SEE this one! This family portrait was brought to us by the exhibits coordinator for the National archives and was really in sad shape. Notice the 18″ slash down the left side. Here’s a raking light shot of the distortions/gathers in the canvas.

The painting canvas was so brittle that the tacking edge nails had pulled through the fabric so the edges were loose and the painting was barely hanging onto the stretcher bars. The surface of the painting was LOADED with dirt, grime and discolored varnish… nicotine? How did this painting get into such precarious condition? Except it was adopted by a preservationist soul, this portrait and piece of history was destined for the trash.

Professional art conservation and painting restoration to the rescue. The rip repair of this painting’s ripped edges were rejoined under the microscope and, in fact, here’s a video to show how we do it:

The cleaning was actually, surprisingly not so difficult. Once the varnish was dissolved, the rest of the dirty layers washed away with it’s removal. What a difference!!!!

So again, how did this painting get into such precarious condition? As you might imagine, all of this damage is caused by handling and the way it was treated. In other words, all of this damage was avoidable… or preventable! What circumstances do you paintings find themselves? Are fragile old paintings displayed in high traffic areas? Are paintings not on the walls simple leaning against themselves in the closet, garage or basement? Immediate action to remedy the situation may save you many $1,000′s of dollars!

Art conservation questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438

Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate 805 895 5121

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After Conservation Family Portrait

This painting has minimal touch up done (inpainting) and many imperfections, that are original to the painting or are a result of the artist’s technique, remained. The goal was to have the portrait look great… but have it be as original as possible.

To learn more about what you can do at home to take care of your stuff, download now a copy of Scott’s book, How To Save Your Stuff From A Disaster at 50% off!

CLICK HERE to know more: http://saveyourstuffblog.com/products-supplies/

We get family ancestor’s portraits in our painting restoration lab all the time. Some of them have some financial value, some of them are historically important and some are only important to the family members… all worth the tender loving care to protect, save and restore for future generations!

Is it worth it is a common question. I often ask back, “Well, what are you going to do? Throw grandpa in the trash?!”

Sometimes we also get the portraits copied and printed on canvas so several family members can have a copy of the family portrait. We have some great suggestions for making your copies look like the real thing!

Perhaps you would like to see some of the family portraits that have come into our lab in the last little while? Some of them will surprise you. Here’s a quick video:

Call Scott M. Haskins to chat about your family portrait at 805 564 3438!
Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121
Follow us on Facebook at “Fine Art Conservation”

Leave a comment about your family portrait below!

By Eleanor Nelson, Guest Blogger

From the Editor: This preservation enthusiast from England, with ties in California, has asked to reach out to you and share 7 important tips for protecting cherished family possessions in case of a natural disaster. And there are some quick, fun videos links for you. This information is just as applicable for someone in Hurricane Country or who lives in areas of severe winter storms. If you know someone who lives in that type of climate or country, do them a favor and pass this great article along to them.

There is no “earthquake season,” as there are seasons for wildfires, tornadoes or blizzards. In California, we know the ground may start shaking under our feet at any time, so it pays to be prepared all the time.

That is why, on Thursday, October 18 we at the FACL will be participating in The Great ShakeOut earthquake drill, along with over 17 million people worldwide (12.9 million in America alone). Wherever they are, whatever they are doing, everyone will “drop, cover and hold on” for 60 seconds, as if a real earthquake were occurring.

Events like this are a useful reminder that while disasters are not preventable, much of the damage to our personal property is definitely preventable. With that in mind, here are 7 tips on ways to increase the chances that your collectibles, family history valuables and keepsakes will come through an earthquake unharmed.

1. Check the strength of the hanging hooks and wires on wall-mounted artwork. They should be well-anchored and over-sized. “Over-engineer” the hanging materials. Paintings can rip all too easily if they fall onto something; even the corners of furniture can cause serious damage.

2. Secure items on shelves or in cabinets with Museum Wax, available at http://tipsforfineartcollectors.org/museum-wax-package/. (watch the short video!) Even a quake of relatively low magnitude will shift and topple standing objects.

Museum Wax anchors collectibles in a shaking building

3. Keep your most important photographs together, in albums or containers that will allow for swift, easy removal in an emergency. Its called a “grab n’ go’ box.” Overwhelmed with so lots of stuff in boxes?! Here’s a quick video on how to get through it quickly… and in a fun way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j5RdOUkLv4 (leave a comment and THUMBS UP?)

4. Store items of significance away from water pipes and water heaters. Damage to your home’s plumbing system could turn an earthquake into a flood! Water not only causes serious immediate damage, it also leads to mold, resulting in further destruction. FEMA says all it takes in 2” of water to do massive damage.

5. Make copies of important documents, and take photographs of your precious possessions. Keep these in a safe location, offsite–preferably in a different state entirely! You will need these photos (and values) if you want to make an insurance claim. Questions about appraisals and claims, go to www.faclappraisals.com and call Richard Holgate, International Society of Appraisers 805 895 5121 for a free chat.

6. It is possible you will need supplemental earthquake insurance. Check that the contents of your house are covered by your homeowner’s policy. The policy should cover heirlooms under “Contents” and not require a further Fine Arts rider.

7. Finally, buy a copy of ‘How to Save Your Stuff From A Disaster’ at www.saveyourstuff.com.

Great suggestions, Eleanor. You can “take those tips to the bank.”

If you have art conservation/restoration questions call Scott Haskins at 805 564 3438.

Follow us on Facebook at Scott M. Haskins and at Save Your Stuff

Keywords: collectibles, family history, fine art insurance, art appraisal, art conservation, Museum Wax, ShakeOut, keepsakes, drop cover and hold, Scott Haskins, Eleanor Nelson

I’m visiting Utah Valley and it is covered in ash and smoke damage – Here are 5 proven tips for getting help with your artwork, collectibles, memorabilia, antiques and heirlooms with valuable info on dealing with insurance claims. I am a fine art conservator which is basically someone who specializes in painting restoration. At present I am in Utah doing some work for the LDS Church on some very important murals, helping the International Pioneer Museum which belongs to the Daughters of Utah Pioneers with some follow up from the moth before and meeting private art collectors. I’m also consulted and considered an expert on saving collections and treasured memorabilia from disasters because of my book, How To Save Your Stuff From A Disaster. I’ve been in the middle of 9 major disasters myself! While I am here, several deadly fires have broken out burning down homes and destroying valleys along the Wasatch Front. I feel extremely sad for the afflicted victims of this calamity.

Alpine Utah on fire! Other fires took place in Carbon County which burned an entire development of homes and also in the area of Park City but I am not sure where exactly.

As an art conservator I often deal with smoke damage in our lab where we take care of the smoke deposits and smell on artwork. (for a quick video tour Click Here). Because of this specialization, I often consult for insurance companies who handle contents claims and fine art insurance claims which include memorabilia, heirlooms, keepsakes, antiques and collectibles of value.

Here are two such examples of claims which will definitely help you learn something. I hope it teaches you how to be well prepared, particularly if you own nice collectibles, furnishings, artwork and antiques which you have kept protected with a fine arts policy. However, this piece of information is specially and perhaps more important for heirlooms, family history etc. that are irreplaceable but not insurable (little financial value but HUGE emotional or historical value).

Is Smoke Damage Possible from a Distance of 40 Miles?

I was asked to evaluate a claim by Chubb Insurance Company (now known as Chartis). They hired me to scrutinize a property in Los Angeles city to find out smoke damage to sculptures, fine art, frames, murals, decorated and gilt surfaces which were a result of brush fires that took place 2 years back, 40 miles away!

In the entrance there were five arched ceilings same as this one, with the exception of the crown moldings which were gold.

Clearly, more than the deposits from smoke there is dust from the past 2 years. It may have been possible to examine the “dust” with complicated analytical means to establish the difference between smoke and dust but that option was rejected as it would have cost us $1,000′s.

This gave rise to these two questions:

1. Are there any smoke deposits?

2. Do they cause any kind of damage?

As the option of analysis was rejected, it was not possible for me to detect the presence of smoke deposits with naked eyes. Therefore the first question is unanswerable. So in short, my visit was about confirming and rejecting the claims of damage due to smoke deposits.

I cautiously read the 10 pages of detailed objects which were embodied in the claim worth $500,000.00 for repairs. I was accompanied by the client throughout the property. He explained to me what he saw as concerns and damages. He even showed me some gilt finishes that according to him had changed in color due to exposure to smoke.

In my opinion the “alterations” the client was pointing at are actually different colors of actual finishes which perhaps he has forgotten or was unaware of but has come into his notice now that he is taking a closer look. And this is where many home owners make a mistake while making claims: the situation wasn’t documented properly (video, photos etc.), the damage took place sometime ago, and there is no past historical record of value (appraisals or receipts) or conditions so it comes down to the belief of the insured versus the insurance company.

After my vigilant examination of all individual objects or items (frames, paintings etc.) and finishes, I observed that there were no changes therefore this owner did not get any support from me. In this particular case, Chubb benefited from my visit as it them saved them from paying $500,000.00 worth of fine arts claim. In another case, I inspected a painting for Chubb once which was claimed for $1/2 million and let me tell you they did pay this amount as they wanted to sustain the client who had insured an enormous collection, boats, houses and other toys etc. with them. So ultimately what induces the business decision and in what way an insurance company settles claim? Well the answer is simple – “Business”.

Well, I am not concerned with any of those things. I am just an advocate for artwork and regardless of whosoever is paying for my bill, I tell it straightaway. This is what makes me a trustworthy and genuine expert witness on art related matters as well as legal testimony.

Here comes another Example… Allstate Insurance Company

As seen with all fires, they take one house here and leave the other one next door through the neighborhood. One such case was that of a Mediterranean style home. The fire damaged the house; the heat caused the cracking of patio cement but “only” filled the house with ash and smoke.

Allstate Insurance which was client’s insurance company was excellent in managing the major damage. But the client’s emotional issues kept them from dealing with the items which belonged to the family history, keepsakes and collectibles right away. For this very reason, claim was kept open. In fact, they even postponed working with the company for the claim of these objects for an entire year, though the presence of smell was still there!

FACL, Inc. helped the insured and the insurance company to:

1. Motivate the client to complete their contents claim.
2. Provide a complete inventory list of collectibles and keepsakes, along with photos.
3. Propose treatments which are suitable for delicate items that must not be handled by harsh industrial cleaners (rare books, artwork, drawings, photo albums, sculpture etc.)
4. On behalf of the insurance company it provided customer service to keep the client satisfied and happy and helped in concluding the claim process (which was being dragged before we came aboard).

There were around 550 items in total ranging from different types of paper items, books, paintings, photos, statues, antiques, assorted dishes and furniture. All these objects were ingrained with residue and strong smoke smell.

FACL, Inc. supplied the reports and evaluations to help move the claim and then provided conservation work to remove the smoke deposits and odor once the agreements were settled between the insured and the insurance company. (http://www.fineartconservationlab.com)

FACL Appraisals offered the contents/valuations and fine art appraisals when it was needed by the insurance company. (http://www.personalpropertyappraisal.com)

From our experience and knowledge in lots of smoke damage claims, here are 5 important tips for you:

1. Make sure to keep an extra copy of your family records such as owner slips, receipts, documents, certificates, appraisals, historical info etc. in a different location preferably another state. Another good idea is to store it online but be certain about the safety of personal information.
2. Try to take action as soon as you can. Smoke and Ash decay metals (sculpture, furniture parts, frames)
3. Speak to your insurance agent in a timely manner.
4. Avoid commercial cleaners to handle your valuables, collectibles, artwork, antiques etc. Instead make sure to get a professional help.
5. Never assume that you “know” it if something is damaged or destroyed. Let an expert guide you with the right info. I often see people make BIG, sad and costly mistakes all the time.

Here is a short video of a woman who was a victim of house fire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lCx-xg4BMY

For more examples of insurance claims, go to:

http://www.insurancepersonalpropertyassessments.com/

Have question? Call our Scott Haskins for free chat: 805 564 3438

For Art appraisal questions, Call Richard Holgate: 805 895 5121

The owner this heirloom painting was overjoyed when he saw how cleaning brought it back to its original state after it had been damaged because of smoke.

If you liked the information in this article, kindly click on the “LIKE” –THUMBS UP tab at the top of the page. And please do leave your suggestions or comments!

For more interesting blogs go to

http://www.pioneerartrestoration.com

http://www.saveyourstuff.com

For more information about my book, How To Save Your Stuff From A Disaster, CLICK HERE

The News-Press published a feature article on me and our art conservation lab last week. I was appreciative for the major coverage, photos and placement they gave! Here is the article entitled, “Art Conservator Restores Paintings in Santa Barbara and Around the World” – Art Restorer/Conservator, Scott M. Haskins, Featured in Life Section of Newspaper CLICK HERE:http://www.fineartconservationlab.com/media-room/art-restorerconservator-scott-m-haskins-featured-in-life-section-of-newspaper/
Please click on the “LIKE” button and leave a comment.
Thanks

Scott M. Haskins

Marilyn McMahan, staffwriter of the Life Section of the Santa Barbara News-Press

Organizing collectibles, old photos, boxes of old letters and documents, old books from loved ones past on can be a daunting and mind spinning experience. Where do you start? What is your goal? Well, those aren’t really the right questions to ask.

One of my great pleasures since 1978 has been to work on the enormously popular and historical items within the collection of the Historical Department of the LDS Church. One of the oral history researchers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Mormons) was in my lab this week interviewing me about the art conservation and restoration work I’ve done for the history department of the Church History Museum over the decades. We discussed my book, How To Save Your Stuff and Ann Marie thought you would be interested, as she was, in this quick tip about how to avoid confusion when getting organized. The video is less than 2 minutes.

Questions? Call Scott Haskins 805 564 4348
Art appraisal questions? Call Richard Holgate at 805 895 5121

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