Historical Architecture & Architectural Services

decorative painted ceiling cleaning and repair

UCLA Clark Library Painted Plaster Ceiling

 
The UCLA Clark Library is a highly decorated building and garden site that has served as a rare book and manuscript library since 1934. During a 2016 project to retrofit the building and repair the roof, water infiltrated through windows onto a painted plaster wall and ceiling, a patinated bronze book case, canvas-covered walls, and historic wood finishes.

RLA mitigated water staining and discoloration to the surfaces through cleaning and poulticing. We performed decorative painted ceiling cleaning and repair, water stain removal to painted and wooden finishes, and color compensation where needed. In particular we were able to remove wood stains and reduce blanching with poultices and restore water damaged painted surfaces.

Color compensation was performed on the wood areas to reduce blanching. The wood was coated using aqueous methods and poultices. The impacted areas were tested for salts as well.