Restoration of Architectural Objects’ Stucco Decor: Ukrainian Experience

The article is devoted to the restoration of stucco decor on facades and in the interiors of architectural objects. The stylistic features of stucco decor of the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries are analyzed. The procedure for work is described, which begins with the examination and cleaning of parts from whitewash, dirt, and paint. A separate technology for removing glue and lime, paint, and oil layers has been developed. After cleaning, the lost stucco fragment is “plastered” using gypsum mortar, from which the restored fragments are modeled. To restore plaster parts of a complex profile, such parts are first made in a soft material, and then a mold is removed from this model, according to which the plaster addition is cast. For the mold, you can use gypsum or formoplast (synthetic elastic material). The part cast in the mold is attached by gluing to the base using thermoplastics dissolved in organic solvents or water-alcohol solutions of PVA dispersion. If the gypsum part is large, it is attached to the base with nails. During the manufacturing process, the gypsum stucco decor is subject to protective and decorative treatment, which consists of three stages: priming, patination, and waxing.