The EverGreene team achieved the successful completion of a multi-year project conserving the marble at the Jefferson Memorial through a careful process to remove biofilm, algae, and other bacteria and fungi from the monument. Our Senior Vice President Mark Rabinowitz talks with StoneUpdate.com on the process finding the right solution. “Laser cleaning has become more common in architectural settings, although I wouldn’t say it’s standard,” states Rabinowitz. “It’s been used for a long enough period of time that more people have had more experience with it, and the cost of the equipment has made it more available.”
The fundamental principle of historic conservation is to mitigate problems affecting degradation. Conservation treatments should always be applied in a minimally invasive and entirely reversible way, should a better technique become available in the future. A thorough assessment of the damage to the stone and the examination of all possible options should always precede the determination of any specific treatment. New technologies, such as laser ablation, may offer safer, less invasive, and more environmentally friendly approach to stone conservation.
Stone conservation requires a of multidisciplinary approach, involving subject matter experts, skilled masons, artists, and craftspeople. Our team of stone conservation specialists craft and apply mitigating treatments that are guided by stonework techniques and rigorous conservation processes.
