the vulnerability of individual objects to water can be affected (i.e. increased) significantly by the state of the degradation of the materials.

Many custodians underestimate the likelihood and effects of sporadic events such as water leaks. There is a tendency to use basements for collection and archival storage and to leave boxes of material on the floor, perhaps only "temporarily." Many containers for paper documents and small artifacts purchased by museums are acid-free, but few institutions consider acquiring watertight boxes made from fluted polypropylene.