Poultice Desalination of Porous Building Materials

The use of poultice treatments for desalination is well established in conservation, however the complexities of salt migration within historic structures have produced variable and unpredictable results. The Poultice Desalination of Porous Building Materials workshop aimed to present new applied research on the process of poultice desalination, through practical applications, to conservators and others whose job is to assess, treat, and evaluate the impact of salts on porous building materials.

From Angkor to Zanzibar and Venice to New Orleans, soluble salts are responsible for causing significant damage to porous building materials. But how does salt weathering take place, and what level of salts is harmful? Are certain salts more damaging than others? Should they be removed, and if so, how?

The use of poultice treatments for desalination is well established in conservation; however, the complexities of salt migration within historic structures have produced variable and unpredictable results. This workshop presents new applied research on the process of poultice desalination through practical applications for conservators and others whose job is to assess, treat, and evaluate the impact of salts on porous building materials.

Louisiana State Museum