CONSERVATION OF STONES

Preventive measures

Cleaning

Consolidation

Protection/ Preservation

Stone Reparation & Pointing

 CONSERVATION OF STONES

PREVENTIVE MEASURES

• Deals with- controlling relative humidity and

temperature, prevention of from water and sun.
• For e.g.- Use of glass cases in museums to protect
artefacts, Use of shelters for outdoor stonework
(statues etc.) to protect them from rain and sun.
DISPLAY CASES IN MUSEUMS. SOURCE: http://blog.museum-display-cases.com/
• These are likely to be visually intrusive.
• Also deals with- legislation to protect individual
buildings and monuments, pollution control, traffic
control, control of groundwater, visitor management,
and disaster planning.

CANOPY TO PROTECT OUTDOOR STATUES. SOURCE: gettyimages

Source: Stone Comservation An overview of current research by Eric Doehne & Clifford A. Price
 CONSERVATION OF STONES

CLEANING
• Mostly the first step undertaken during protection of
materials. Methods include:
(i) Scrubbing: removes dirt and soluble salts to reduce rate
of decay
(ii) Spray Treatment: to soften the deposits (useful for
limestones)
(iii) Steam Cleaning: better option than water washing
SPRAY CLEANING STEAM CLEANING
(iv) Laser Cleaning: An infrared laser beam is dissipated on SOURCE: buildingconservation.com SOURCE: buildingconservation.com
the surface which vaporizes moisture and removes dirt.
(efficient for light colored stones and not dark stones like
granite)
(v) Latex Poultice Method: The method is best used on
sound interior surfaces. It is a spray-on film containing
EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid) and other
additives
(vi) Biological Cleaning: Use of various types of bacteria to
clean Sulphur deposits or lichen from the surface.

LASER CLEANING LATEX POULTICE

SOURCE: assorestuaro.org SOURCE: abrp.com

Source: Stone Comservation An overview of current research by Eric Doehne & Clifford A. Price, Building Materials by S. Rajaraman
 CONSERVATION OF STONES

CONSOLIDATION a.

• It may be necessary to restore some strength, and to

make the stone at least as strong as it was originally, so
it might resist further decay.
• Desalination: Desalination of masonry is usually
attempted through the use of poultices. The additives
may include EDTA and its sodium salts, sodium b.
bicarbonate, ammonium bicarbonate, and ammonium
carbonate.
• Consolidant: Consolidants are usually applied to the
surface of the stone by brush, spray, pipette, or by
immersion and are drawn into the stone by capillary
action. Consolidants include:
CONSOLIDATION
(i) Lime (Calcium Hydroxide) SOURCE: prosoco.com c.

(ii) Barium Hydroxide a) The decayed stone treated with a consolidant which
accumulates at the contact points to restore bonds
(iii) Organic Polymers between grains.

(iv) Alkoxysilanes b) Stone treated with a Consolidant which provides a

uniform thin coating on the grains and bonds them at
(v) Epoxies the contact points.

(vi) Acrylics and Emulsions c) Stone treated with a consolidant which almost fills
the pores.
SOURCE: Conservation of Historic Stone
Buildings and Monuments

Source: Stone Comservation An overview of current research by Eric Doehne & Clifford A. Price, Building Materials by S. Rajaraman
 CONSERVATION OF STONES

PROTECTION

• Majorly deals with protection of the surface from

deleterious action of the weather and other agencies.
• Types of Surface coatings used:
(i) Water Repellents
(ii) Anti-Graffiti Coatings
(iii) Emulsions WATER REPELLENT COATING
ANTI GRAFFITI COATING
SOURCE: tensid.com
SOURCE: starshield.com
(iv) Crystal Growth Inhibitors
(v) Oxalate Formation
(vi) Lime and Biocalcification
(vii)Colloidal Silica
(viii)Biocides

LIME COATING BIOCIDE COATING

SOURCE: littlegreene.com SOURCE: lkingfisherukcom

Source: Stone Comservation An overview of current research by Eric Doehne & Clifford A. Price, Building Materials by S. Rajaraman
 CONSERVATION OF STONES

STONE REPARATION
• Replacement of decayed stone by a new one of the
same material. The new stone should have the
same texture and geological kind in case it is not
of the same material. Eg. Limestone and
Sandstone.
• Plastic repairs are carried out using oxychloride
cements and Portland cement mortars. Aggregate
is mixed with ZnO2, MgO or ZnCl2 to match to
match the existing stone.
STONE REPLACEMENT PLASTIC REPAIRS
SOURCE: buildingconservation.com SOURCE: stonemasonrobshacklock.com

POINTING
• In old buildings, joints are more decayed than
stones, showing that mortar served as an outlet for
the moisture and salts in the masonry. In case of
use of dense mortars, the decay spreads from
pointing into the stones. It should not be stronger
or denser than the stone used.

MORTAR REPAIR MORTAR REPAIRS IN WHEEL

SOURCE: buildingconservation.com SOURCE: buildingconservation.com

Source: Stone Comservation An overview of current research by Eric Doehne & Clifford A. Price, Building Materials by S. Rajaraman