Document repair tape by Lineco

[framanista]

What will this product do to paper over time? I’m framing a brittle, torn, old watercolor. (They didn’t want to take it to a conservator.) I plan on hinging it and it doesn’t seem like its right to leave the tears as they are.

 

[wpfay]

Don't know what kind of adhesive they use, but generally speaking pressure sensitive adhesives will eventually fail, and may cause discoloration in the process. Mending tears is still best handled by an expert using water based starch paste and Japanese papers.
If your client is disinclined to have the paper repaired professionally, I would suggest following their lead and not take on the responsibility.

 

[Jim Miller]

I'm with Wally -- don't change it. If the customer is unwilling to seek conservation treatment, two probabilities come to mind:

1. He/she thinks it's been OK all these years, so why fix it? This might indicate the customer misunderstands the nature of paper damage, or thinks treatment isn't worth the cost. Both misunderstandings which can be corrected by explanation by an informed conservator or framer.

2. He/she thinks the framer can fix it as well as a conservator. More misunderstanding. The framer who isn't properly trained about the damage and how to fix it could cause more damage, which could lead to a sort of malpractice liability.

 

[preservator]

Please listen to Wally and Jim. A client, who refuses to pay a conservator, will never compensate a framer adequately to take the risks
that repairing a work on paper involves and if
the results can be questioned in any way, expect
the worst. For your own protection, avoid doing
such work.

Hugh