Brick,Terracotta+Faience

Calibre Conservation promotes repair over replacement, as a long-term, cost-effective solution.

Specialists in the conservation of brick, terracotta, faience and Coade stone, Calibre's conservators have experience in a range of architectural and sculptural elements, from dressings, string-courses, cornices, capitals, mouldings, coats-of-arms, fan vaulting and fireplaces to freestanding figures, busts and urns.
 

Non-structural repair metalwork:

  • Removing corrosion layers (dry mechanical methods)
  • Cathodic protection of metalwork 
  • Protective coatings
     

Non-structural repair terracotta:

  • Treatment or removal of vegetation and biological material
  • Removing previous repairs (adhesives, cement mortars)
  • Repointing 
  • Dry (mechanical), wet (aqueous and chemical) and laser cleaning 
  • Desalination (dry removal, poulticing)
  • Consolidation 
  • Repairing cracks or fractures(pinning, anchors and dowels, grouting, patch repairs)
  • Brick and terracotta replacement (indenting, plating) 
  • Glaze repairs
     

Structural repair metalwork:

  • Dismantling brick and terracotta units 
  • Temporary stabilisation 
  • Removal of deteriorated metalwork
  • Restoring structural integrity (welding mild-steel angles or plates)
     

Structural repair terracotta:

  • Replacing brick and terracotta units
  • Replacing missing elements (moulding and casting, in-situ modelling)

 

Cleaning trials guide the least invasive, most effective approach, and all cleaning is carried out by Calibre's experienced practitioners.

Calibre offers a variety of specialist cleaning methods, which are broadly categorised into dry (mechanical), wet (aqueous and chemical) and laser cleaning.
 

Dry (mechanical) cleaning:

  • Vacuum cleaning  
  • Brushing
  • Erasers and sponges 
  • Scalpels and spatulas 
  • Dry air-abrasion
     

Wet (aqueous and chemical) cleaning:

  • Sponging and brushing 
  • Wet air-abrasion
  • DOFF steam cleaning 
  • Water poulticing 
  • Chemical (acids, alkalis, organic solvents, wetting agents, chelating agents)

Laser:

  • Laser cleaning is an option when the underlying materials are too sensitive for
    dry or wet cleaning methods.