Paint Research
Paint research establishes what a building actually looked like, rather than what people assume. Samples are taken from selected locations, mounted as cross-sections and examined under magnification, sometimes with pigment and medium analysis, to reveal the sequence of decorative schemes from the earliest surviving layer onwards. The results routinely overturn expectations, since historic colours were often stronger, or plainer, than modern reconstruction suggests. The specialists here also uncover and record surviving decorative work and advise on which scheme to present and how.
What this category covers
- Paint sampling and cross-section analysis
- Pigment, medium and wallpaper identification
- Investigation and uncovering of surviving decorative schemes
- Reports supporting consent applications and reinstatement
- Specification of colours and finishes for redecoration
Commissioning paint research
Do it before you strip anything. Once a surface has been rubbed down, stripped or overpainted, the evidence has gone. Where an interior is significant, paint investigation should precede redecoration rather than follow a decision about it.
Sample strategically. A useful investigation takes samples from a range of elements and locations, joinery, plaster, cornice, dado and shutters, because different elements were decorated differently and were not always repainted at the same time.
Expect a sequence, not an answer. Analysis produces the order of schemes and their composition; deciding which one to present is a separate conservation judgement involving the building's significance, its use and what survives elsewhere.
Match modern paints carefully. A colour identified in a cross-section was produced in a particular medium with particular pigments, and reproducing it in a modern vinyl paint changes both the colour and the surface. Where the finish matters, the paint type is part of the specification.
Questions to ask
What does paint analysis actually show?
The sequence of paint layers on a surface, from the earliest surviving scheme onwards, with their colours and often their composition. It can establish original colours, later changes and whether an existing decorative scheme is original or a reconstruction.
How invasive is paint sampling?
Minimally. Samples are very small, taken from discreet locations such as edges, returns and behind fittings, and their positions are recorded. The damage is negligible compared with the information gained, and far less than stripping to investigate.
Can I just match a historic colour from a paint chart?
Only approximately. Historic colours were made with different pigments in different media, and the surface and depth of a distemper, limewash or oil paint differ from a modern emulsion of the same colour. Where authenticity matters, the paint type matters too.
The business listed under Paint Research
- Hirst Conservation Lincolnshire
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.