Once upon the time, we believed that lamination was the best thing for preserving documents ever invented! Decades later, we discovered the truth, the heat and pressure of the laminating process, mixed with the acid in the adhesive on the plastic, work together to cause the items laminated to become brittle and deteriorate. There are even some types of paper where the laminating process immediately destroys the image on the paper.
Now we know that the best way to preserve historical documents is in a cool, dry location with very little light. Still, that leaves few options, after all, you don't want to store documents in attics because of the usual lack of insulation and the risk of the roof leaking. And while a basement may stay cooler than the attic, the risk of moisture is too great to store delicate artifacts. Possibly a light-proof plastic container on the shelf of a closet?
