Expertise

Conservation Lab

Historic material analysis informs appropriate and cost-effective treatment decisions that preserve the historic integrity of a building and prolong its functional life.

The new Conservation Lab at Lord Aeck Sargent expands our historic preservation services, deepening our capacity to make appropriate decisions for the treatment of historic properties. The lab is equipped with the expertise and technology to identify and evaluate historic interior and exterior finishes obscured by weathering or alterations. The information generated in our lab expands our capacity to document a building’s history and chronology, identify the composition of significant materials and make informed treatment decisions that prolong building performance and preserve historic integrity. In addition to the in-house laboratory analysis, our conservator performs on-site material sampling and works with architects, engineers, contractors, and clients to determine the scope of analysis and specifications appropriate for the project.

Our Conservation Lab services include:

• Paint layer stratigraphy
• Petrographic examination
• Fluorescence and UV microscopy
• Polarized light microscopy
• Mortar digestion
• Material pathology
• Color matching
• Conservation treatment tests
• Replica material specifications
• Preservation treatment plans