Historic Building Architects

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Historic Building Architects’ Material Science Laboratory provides material characterization and analysis that not only assists in a remedial and preventive treatment plan tailored to your structure but also provides a better understanding of the architectural element’s original appearance and basic properties. The Material Science Laboratory provides an analytical service for the interpretation and recommendation of historic building materials and finishes. The Material Science Laboratory has a large range of analytical services for the identification of historic building materials such as mortar and paint. We specialize in the diachronic and synchronic interpretation of paint layers. The colors are documented using photo-micrographs and Munsell color notation. The key layers are also matched to Benjamin Moore paint colors for restoration purposes. The color scheme of a historic structure is interpreted by understanding the successive paint layers through comparative examination among the paint strata found in multiple samples taken from the site and a review of available historic written and photographic materials. The stratigraphic interpretation can be supported with analysis of the microstructure, chemical composition and historical research. We also do extensive mortar and stucco analysis for replication purposes, water vapor transmission testing, and salt analysis. All testing and analytical methods comply to the American Society for the Testing of Materials Standards (ASTM) and/or the NORMAL standards. Historic Building Architects’ Material Science Laboratory also provides coordination and interpretation of petrographic analysis and instrumental analytical methods such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-Ray Diffraction analysis (XRD).

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