The scope of work is generally based on several factors, including
the historical significance of the building's interior, the degree
of damage or deterioration of the compo, and the overall interpretive
goals of project work. Several examples of repair and replacement
follow in order to suggest a typical scope of work within preservation
and restoration projects. Treatments are listed in hierarchical
order, from the least intervention to the greatest.
When this
historic composition window surround was mistakenly identified as plaster, then
treated with a caustic stripper, a section of it was destroyed. Photo: Bryan
Blundell.
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Paint removal. Interior ornament is usually painted
many times over during its lifetime and, as a result, the sharp
surface detail of the original pattern is obscured. Before attempting
to remove paint, it is always advisable to obtain professional
advice on the ornamental material to be cleaned as well as the
nature of the coatings that are covering it. And whatever the
project work goal, at least one sample of intact, well-adhered
paint layers on a feature should be preserved for future historical
research.
Based on the purpose of treatment, these are some of the questions
a conservator routinely asks. How many layers of paint are there?
Is it important to trace one layer to a particular occupancy of
the building? If so, the stratigraphy (or layering scheme) will
be determined prior to paint removal. After the correct layer
is identified, the color can be matched. Or, is the building being
rehabilitated? If this is the case, period-typical paint colors
may be appropriate.
For purposes of this Brief and the guidance paragraphs that follow,
it is assumed that all layers of paint are being removed in order
to reveal the fine detailing of the composition ornament.
The next step is to consider various methods of removing paint
from the ornament without damaging it, or without being exposed
to dangerous substances in the strippers or in the old paint itself!
It should be noted from the standpoint of health and safety that
most Federal and Empire period compo was meant to imitate marble;
thus, the highly toxic white-lead paint was by far the most common
original coating.
Caustic strippers based on lye should be avoided for two
reasons. First, they will damage and dissolve compo both because
they "chew up" the protein structure of the glue and,
second, because they are water-based and compo remains soluble
in water. If a stripper will damage the protein
of your hands, it will do the same to compo!
"Applied Decoration for Historic Interiors" an Historic Preservation Brief
