Repointing Foundation Walls at the Misroon House
As part of a condition survey for the basement of the Historic Charleston Foundation offices at the Misroon House on Charleston’s Battery, the conservation lab led by Frances Ford researched and completed several preservation techniques for the dangerously damp area. In order to establish a baseline, RILEM tests were used to determine the saturation of the basement and a clay poultice was used to draw out harmful salts.
After a treatment plan was drafted, mortar samples from several locations in the walls were processed in the on-site Conservation Lab to determine the binder, aggregate and composition of the historic mortars. Based on this information a compatible mortar was handmixed using lime, sand and water. The wall sections displaying the worst mortar failure was repointed by the students, and spawled brick faces were recreated using a proprietary substance.
The work at HCF’s Misroon Basement is an ongoing project, and the students have been back to inspect and assess their treatments. Future students will also be involved in the project to understand the impacts of such conservation interventions.
Click here for more information about our on-site Conservation Lab.
Metal Conservation at Fort Moultrie
Several second-year students in advanced material conservation completed a preliminary conservation report on the metal elements at Fort Moultrie, a military fort used from the Spanish-American war through WWII. After identification of the architectural elements, current resources for metal treatments were consulted to create a series of possible treatments. 
Students worked on paint sampling to determine the presence of lead paint and evidence of historic color themes and conducted timed tests of several chemical paint removers, rust converters and corrosion inhibitors. Their work will inform the conservation decisions made by the National Park Service in their most recent preservation efforts of the fort.