to clean, consolidate flaking pigments and Useful contacts Further information repair small areas of damage. All treatments should be reversible and leave no harmful Decorative Historic Scotland Technical Conservation Group Bristow, Ian, Interior House Painting Colours residues. 0131 668 8668 and Technology, 1615-1840 Yale University [email protected] Paint Finishes: It is generally too difficult to entirely uncover Press, New Haven and London, 1996 a decorative scheme that has been covered ICON, The Institute of Conservation with many later layers of paint, even if it is Rhodes, B and Windsor, J. Parry’s Graining Graining and 3rd Floor, Downstream Buildings likely that large areas of the early scheme and Marbling, Collins, London, 1985 survive underneath. It may be more feasible 1 London Bridge Marbling to reveal just a section as an example of the London SE1 9BG Davey, Andy et al, The Care and decoration, and to incorporate this fragment www.icon.org.uk Conservation of Georgian Houses, (4th Ed), into a new or reproduced scheme. A plastic or www.conservationregister.com Butterworth-Architecture, Oxford, 1995 glass layer should not be placed on it, as this www.traditionalpaintforum.org.uk could encourage condensation and damage rather than protect the surface.

Modern recommendations for preparation before re-painting generally advise that all Decorative finish reproduced from a small surviving Severe deterioration can lead to the loss of decorative previous layers of paint should be stripped Fully reproduced decorative scheme fragment finishes off. If a decorative paint scheme is in poor condition, or only survives in fragments, a It is essential that the chosen decorator is able Category A listed buildings with permission to avoid knocks and brushing against painted conservator may advise that the original finish to undertake a high quality scheme and has from Historic Scotland. It is possible to obtain surfaces. Nails or screws should not be fixed is consolidated and protected before a new experience of working in historic buildings. It traditional paints that are very similar to the through a historic surface and the installation finish is applied. It is preferable to leave a is unlikely that a standard domestic decorator composition, colours and performance of those of services, where they are likely to affect a historic painted finish in its original position will have all these skills. Samples of work and that were used in the past. The choice of paint decorative painted surface, should be carefully with a good record made of it, and to create a references from previous clients should be should be discussed with the conservator or considered. new scheme on top. sought before choosing the company. decorator, who should be able to advise on an appropriate choice for the circumstances. To avoid Conservation and repair Although lead-based paints were once unnecessary damage, all adjacent historic surfaces Reproducing a historic commonly used, these are now regarded as should be carefully protected prior to and during Good conservation practice can be exercised decorative paint finish a health hazard and can only be used on any repainting works. by minimising works which may affect painted finishes and by choosing materials Uncovered areas of historic graining or that match, or are compatible with, original marbling of a sufficient size can provide an materials. indication of the original patterning and A condition survey of historic decorative paint colour of the scheme, so that the scheme can finishes should record and assess the condition be reproduced over a larger area. An effective of the materials, and make recommendations reconstruction should achieve the same for immediate treatment and future care. If quality as the original and should reproduce Principal author: Jane Robertson the patterning, colours and texture using Published by Technical Conservation Group, March 2010 the surface of the painted substrate is sound, Historic Scotland, Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH91SH simple remedial treatments can be carried out templates of the original detailing set out in Tel: 0131 668 8638 Fax: 0131 668 8620 their repeating pattern dimensions. www.historic-scotland.gov.uk email: [email protected]

While every care has been taken in the preparation of this leaflet, Historic Scotland specifically exclude any liability for errors, ommissions or otherwise arising from sustainable material from Produced House 03/10 The its contents and readers must satisfy themselves as to the principles and practices described. Introduction Identifying a historic decorative Historically, decorators would have learnt almost transparent colour was laid onto this, Care, conservation and repair are carried out. A conservator, or a historic paint finish their trade as apprentices, developing their and manipulated with tools such as brushes or of a historic decorative paint building professional should be able to provide Decorative paint finishes imitating skills through observation and experience. combs. This allowed the lighter ground to show finish advice on more complex problems. Following High quality graining and marbling requires through in a pattern imitating the grain of the a regular maintenance regime will significantly natural materials such as wood and The common use of graining and marbling in considerable technical skill and knowledge of timber. Darker veins were added once the glaze reduce the risk of further damage to historic many C18 and C19 properties suggests that stone have been used to enhance the physical properties and the character of the was dry. A protective coat of varnish was finally Deterioration of decorative paint features. decorative schemes may remain beneath layers interiors for many centuries. Graining type of timber, or marble, to be reproduced. applied. finishes of paint and wallpaper. Paint and paper were not and marbling techniques were The finest examples of historic grained and General wear and tear, central heating, open For the protection of painted surfaces, blinds always stripped before redecoration and historic particularly fashionable during the marbled surfaces show that the best decorators Marbling fires, damp walls, condensation, inadequate can be fitted to windows to reduce damage paint schemes may have been over-painted many C17, C18 and C19. Early marbled or were also artists, who employed considerable Marbles were copied using similar methods ventilation, poor previous repairs and resulting from exposure to daylight. Rooms times. An existing graining scheme could be grained paint schemes or wallpaper freedom of expression in their work. to those used for graining. Specific techniques inappropriate redecoration can all lead to should be provided with adequate ventilation. relatively modern and care needs to be exercised may remain under later layers of varied according to the marble to be imitated, deterioration of paint finishes. Large fluctuations of temperature should be in determining its provenance. paintwork. and the base to which the finish was to be avoided, and the use of open fires limited. Techniques applied. A distemper ground rather than an The cause of a problem should be identified Furniture should be kept back from walls, and Fragments of earlier decorative finishes may oil ground was used where the finish was to be before any repairs to historic paintwork the route through a room could be changed Graining is the simulation of the emerge in the course of redecorating. Taking applied to plaster. For darker marbles, a dark colour and grain of timber in paint time to discover more about these can provide Graining ground would be applied, onto which lighter and transparent mediums. significant information on the past appearance A smooth oil or distemper ground (a heavily veins would be painted. The surface preparation and use of the building, and the taste and fashion pigmented water-based matt paint) was was crucial to achieve a degree of smoothness of its previous occupants. Access to documents prepared to match the lightest colour of the Marbling is the simulation of which would represent a polished marble. marble or another stone in paint and relating to the property, such as old accounts, may timber to be imitated. An oil or water glaze of mention when work was carried out. transparent mediums. Room showing extensive use of graining and marbling If it is suspected that a paint scheme may be This INFORM aims to assist in of a grained or marbled finish needs to be carefully than attempting to imitate the natural appearance of historic value, a specialist paint conservator identifying, protecting and reinstating assessed, together with its state of repair, whether of a better quality timber. Graining schemes should be contacted. The quality and importance historic grained or marbled finishes. it should be gently cleaned and left as found, or were applied not only to softwoods, but also whether it can be restored or reproduced. to hardwoods to imitate the finest of cabinet- making techniques. Techniques became more A conservator will be able to investigate and sophisticated as materials and skills developed. By analyse paint layers, colours and materials. They the early C19 graining on panelling and joinery will be able to reveal the number and type of early in principle rooms was highly fashionable. Early marbling showing beneath a later paint scheme decorative paint coats and provide information Marbling was also practised, generally in halls which had been previously been covered by a fitting and advice on the historic significance of the and staircases. Some schemes achieved immense scheme, how best to preserve the remains of an richness with imitative inlays and contrasting old scheme, or how to go about re-creating an colours of marbles. early decorative finish. Techniques developed considerably during the History of graining and marbling early C19, with darker transparent glazes applied over lighter base coats or ‘ground’. The dark glaze was ‘wiped out’ to imitate features of the required From the C17, graining was used to imitate timber, and could be manipulated with great the finishes of fine cabinet hardwoods such as subtlety. The previous practice of building up the oak and mahogany. Early examples were crude. pattern in body colour was more laborious, and Patterning and colour were more abstract, rather A decorative scheme uncovered and reproduced soon superceded. Marbling employed on a fireplace Wear and tear can cause damage to decorative paint finishes