Initiatory Report: Adobe Preservation Research

Fenn, Dennis

The problem of preserving exposed historic and prehistoric adobe walls is a complex and difficult one for the National Park Service. Research in this area has been largely ineffective because most projects were conducted by interested individuals with little financial support. Often, no more than one chemical treatment was studied at a time and no long-term followup and monitoring was conducted. This, however, was the best that conditions would allow. The result has been that each National Park Service unit possessing adobe structures has tended to develop its own favorite treatment with little scientific evidence to support the contention and little or no communication with other areas with similar concerns. The recent emphasis by top-level Park Management on developing an improved ruins preservation program created an atmosphere conducive to the conduct of a thorough adobe preservation research project. The objectives of this report were to study a selected variety of potential waterproofing chemicals for their effectiveness as spray coatings on adobe walls and as integral mix materials for producing stabilized adobe. Factors such as durability, effectiveness, color stability, hardness and treatment penetration were monitored.

Initiatory Report: Adobe Preservation Research

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