Marble Restoration and Conservation

Conserving, Cleaning and Restoring Marble

As a heavy and brittle stone marble can damage and break easily, therefore in many cases when an object is received for treatment it is often the case that damage and subsequent restoration will have previously been carried out.

It is often found that during the cleaning process problems that were hidden when dirty can become uncovered, therefore addressing issues such as misaligned joints and discolored or failing repairs are often as much a concern as addressing initial concerns.

Marble is sensitive to acids and alkalis and stains readily therefore poultice cleaning which draws out and soften impurities regularly forms part of the marble restoration cleaning process. Broken fragments may sometimes require the fitting of internal dowels. An application of a micro crystalline wax is often applied at the end of a treatment as it provides a protective coat which can be easily removed allowing future cleaning to be simple and non intrusive.

Then comes the complex task of creating aesthetically pleasing mount that will support the object without causing damage while allowing a safe and stable fixing for public display. Our highly experienced exhibitions team here at Richard Rogers Conservation Ltd have undertaken the mounting of many pieces of stonework in all shapes and sizes.