SUMMARY EG SURFACE TREATMENTS 1993 STONE SURFACE TREATMENTS ARE BROADLY USED IN THE CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS, BUT VERY LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THEIR PERFORMANCE IN PRACTICE.
CASES OF DAMAGE TO TREATED STONE IN MONUMENTS ARE FREQUENTLY REPORTED, WHICH COULD BE DUE TO THE INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN TREATMENT AND STGNY MATERIALS OR TO THE UNFORESEEN EFFECT OF DECAY FACTORS (PRESENCE OF SALTS IN WALLS, MOISTURE...).

THE AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE OF SURFACE TREATMENTS IN HISTORIC BUILDINGS; FURTHER TO PROVIDE THOSE INVOLVED IN CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS WITH A DECISION MODEL, WHICH CAN BE USED TO DECIDE WHETHER A TREATMENT IS NECESSARY AND WHAT IS THE MOST SUITABLE TREATMENT.
A FURTHER OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP BETTER LABORATORY METHODS TO PREDICT THE PERFORMANCE OF TREATMENTS AND TO AVOID RISKS; THE EVALUATION OF THE PERFORMANCE AND DURABILITY OF SURFACE TREATMENTS WILL RESULT FROM THE STUDY OF THE DATA DERIVING FROM THE FOLLOWING RESEARCH: 1. ASSESSMENT OF THE STATE OF PRESERVATION OF TREATED WALLS OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS; . ASSESSMENT GF THE PERFORMANCE OF TREATMENTS IN LABORATORY: - ON SINGLE MATERIALS (A); - ON LITTLE TEST WALLS (COMBINATION OF MATERIALS) (B) - ON REAL SCALE TEST BUILDINGS IN THE OPEN AIR.

THE COMBINATION OF RESEARCH IN PRACTICE AND RESEARCH IN LABORATORY WILL ENABLE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF EVENTUAL CAUSES OF FAILURE IN PRACTICE IMPORTANT DELIVERABLES WILL BE THE DECISION MODEL FOR THE CHOICE OF TREATMENTS (AND THE PREVENTION OF DAMAGE) AND A PROPOSAL FOR A EUROPEAN STANDARD ON METHODS TO ASSESS THE PERFORMANCE OF TREATMENTS IN LABORATORY AND IN PRACTICE.