Consolidating distemper paint

I am researching distemper painted wooden ceilings from the Scottish
Renaissance at Historic Scotland. My main focus of research are
facings and consolidants.

At the moment cleaning and consolidation is done simultaneously with
gelatine through Eltoline tissue. The same materials are used for
transport and emergency facing.

Gelatine works fine, but it is subjected to the same climate
conditions as the original binding medium and therefore may fail
again after a while. Climate control is rarely an option in cases of
some historic buildings. Facings with gelatine have sometimes become
hard to remove. The surfaces I am dealing with range from matte
(untreated or gelatine treated) to glossy (old wax or wax-resin
treatment).

It would be very interesting to me to hear of other suitable
materials for facings and consolidants that have long-term
stability, reversibility and change the character of the paint
surface as little as possible. The treatment should ideally allow
the option of using aqueous adhesives in the future and be suitable
for overhead works.

I like to learn about your experiences, techniques and materials.
This applies especially to two consolidants in that regard: Aquazol
and Lascaux Medium for Consolidation.

Chantal-Helen Thuer
Researcher Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland Conservation Centre
Edinburgh, Great Britain
+44 131 443 5635


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:7
                   Distributed: Monday, May 28, 2007
                        Message Id: cdl-21-7-021
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