Rutherford, New Jersey (1890)
The Building:
A Gilded Age mansion.
The Problem:
Classic example of the detachment of plaster from the wood lath as evidenced by numerous broken keys & lugs, and the settlement of plaster away from the substrate.
Project Synopsis:
Historic Plaster Conservation Services (Canada) was asked to assess the ceiling (which featured valuable decorative painting on the surface) and design an appropriate plaster treatment program to be carried out by HPCS (USA). After easing the ceiling back onto its proper plane using HPCS Micro-Jacks™, a variety of HPCS products were applied to treat the ceiling, including GR Non-Shrink Grout™ to fill spaces between the plaster and wood lath. The “non-shrinking” characteristic of this product ensures that it does not exert any undue stress on the plaster, especially where the ceiling cannot be brought backup into its original alignment.
