A peeling test known as the “Scotch Tape test” has been used for more than 40 years in conservation practice for assessing the consolidation ef

The paper describes a method of structural repair to damaged elements of protected timber houses. Emphasis is laid on minimum intervention in the valuable material that needs to be preserved to the maximum possible extent, especially without larger interventions in the visible parts. The designs will find application in situations where it is not possible or appropriate to use common building methods, and it is necessary to carefully fill out or substitute bio-damaged parts of structural elements. The material for the production of fillings of structural elements corresponds to the originally used wood species; in the case of contact with the ground, oak is the choice due to its durability. Small caverns are filled with earth-based mortar with lime, casein, and chopped wheat straw. Such mortar mixtures were subjected to laboratory tests, which have shown that earth-based mortar (E) and earth mortar with lime putty modification (EL) have very similar physical, mechanical, and hygric properties. The properties significantly changed when curd cheese/casein was added to fresh mortar (ELC): the mechanical strength of hardened mortar increased substantially, and the diffusion of water vapours dropped, which is very beneficial for careful repairs of timber elements. The combination of timber and mortar filling provides a suitable means of repairing locally decayed timber members.

Paints are the protective and aesthetic skin of buildings, so (re) painting is one of the most recurrent maintenance actions. Limewashes have been used since antiquity and are currently of high interest for both conservation and new construction, majorly thanks to their eco-friendly and antiseptic features, and ability to improve the performance of the materials in relation to water transport. Linseed oil is a traditional water-repellent additive that can enhance the water-shedding properties of the limewashes. However, it has the risk of altering the drying kinetics of the substrate if an improper dosage is used. In this work, limewashes with the addition of varying dosages of linseed oil have been applied on two types of natural stone to study the effect of the paints in respect to water and salt transport. The water absorption by capillarity was reduced in both stones coated with pure limewash and limewash with oil, while the drying rate was slightly accelerated. The effect of the paints on the drying of the salt-laden stones varied. The salt damage developed during drying also diverged in both stones, damaging the coats and stone surface of the less porous stone and mainly promoting salt efflorescence in the most porous one.

Foam glass production process redounds to large quantities of waste that, if not recycled, are stockpiled in the environment. In this work, increasing amounts of waste foam glass were used to produce metakaolin-based alkali-activated composites. Phase composition and morphology were investigated by means of X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the physical properties of the materials (density, porosity, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength) were determined. The analysis showed that waste foam glass functioned as an aggregate, introducing irregular voids in the matrix. The obtained composites were largely porous (>45%), with a thermal conductivity coefficient similar to that of timber (<0.2 W/m∙K). Optimum compressive strength was achieved for 10% incorporation of the waste by weight in the binder. The resulting mechanical properties suggest the suitability of the produced materials for use in thermal insulating applications where high load-bearing capacities are not required. Mechanical or chemical treatment of the waste is recommended for further exploitation of its potential in participating in the alkali activation process.