A Training Day On Stone Conservation
Thanks to CAPC’s Programming Grant, a training day on stone conservation was planned at the Centre de conservation du Québec.
Thanks to CAPC’s Programming Grant, a training day on stone was planned. Various professionals (geologists, stonemasons, restorers, architects and engineers) working on stone, at different levels, met on this occasion. More than 30 participants were welcomed to the “Centre de conservation du Québec”, where the conferences took place. In addition to the restorers, several architects participated in the day. Given the great interest from the community, we had to refuse registrations.
A total of eight speakers were involved in the day. In the morning, we focused on issues related to geology, stone cutting and stone restoration. Geologist Martin Anctil presented the characteristics of Montreal grey stone and Sillery sandstone as well as quarrying techniques. Adrien Bobin talked about the challenges of his profession in the context of restoration projects. Elizabeth Cloutier and Isabelle Paradis discussed the point of view of the restorers while describing the main consolidation techniques and their context of use (ethyl and lithium silicates, calcium hydroxide and nanotechnology, etc.). Alain Prince presented some cases of masonry restoration and described the mortars used.
During the afternoon, we went to the Voltigeurs de Québec Armoury, formerly Grande-Allée Armoury (Manège militaire), which have been retrofitted after a fire in 2008. We examined the interior and the exterior of the building with an architect and a professional engineer who worked on that important restoration project. They described the key challenges for the restoration, including the dismantling of the front part of the building, the replacement of many stones and the reinforcement of counter-structures and roofing.
Then, in the company of geologist Henri-Louis Jacob, the 2.5 hour geological and heritage tour of Old Quebec provided an opportunity to examine several buildings and discuss the restorations carried out. Discussions continued over a drink at Hotel le Clarendon, a magnificent art deco building.
Isabelle Paradis
Restorer of cultural assets – Stone