Evaluation of Degradation State of Historic Building Facades through Qualitative and Quantitative Indicators: Case Study in Pelotas, Brazil

The National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage in Brazil holds 88 urban complexes under its protection. Among them, Pelotas, located in southern Brazil, stands out as a protected area; there are numerous historic buildings in the city center. Aiming to preserve historic buildings and considering facades as the elements most exposed to degradation mechanisms, this study proposed the application of qualitative and quantitative indicators—damage map, measurement method of degradation, and element index performance—to assess the degradation state of historically important facades. The research methodology included a survey of the studied objects, followed by application and adaptation of the degradation measurement methods. Stains of mold, fungus, and black crust were found to be the most recurrent pathological manifestations. The appearance of damage was not correlated with solar orientation in any of the methods. Only 8.7% of the facades presented high performance levels, indicating good conservation states.