Thursday, April 25, 2013

Looking For A Statue Restoration Service

By Cherry Mercer


You can find statuary in many places, including public parks, cemeteries, private gardens, churches, and memorial sites. Outdoor statues all have one thing in common. That is, they can all suffer the effects of weather and pollution. Indoor ones aren't affected as much by weather or pollution, but they can be subject to damage by either vandals or well-meaning tourists. In these cases, it would be good to know a good statue restoration service.

Statuary comes in all shapes and sizes, and can be made of many different materials. These materials can include bronze, marble, granite, or chalk. Smaller sculptures might be made from kiln-fired clay, wood, cast metals, or precious metals. You could even carve something from a bar of soap, but you probably wouldn't want to display it outdoors. More modern artists might use either concrete or some sort of resin. In a rather unique case, the Statue of Liberty in the United States was built by placing copper sheathing over an iron skeleton.

Some materials are quite durable, and others are quite fragile. Different types of materials are subject to different types of damage. For example, if you have a swimming pool or a fountain, it's best not to locate a marble or bronze statue close by. The chlorine from the water can cause corrosion to these materials.

It's also best to not place statuary close to any shrubs, dense trees, or overgrown ground cover. This could cause biological growth to take root on the sculpture's surface. If you have a statue located in an area such as this, then you'll want to keep things trimmed up.

Damage doesn't always occur quickly, and it isn't always easily seen. Fungal cells can combine with dust and settle on a sculpture's surface. Fungus could then take root and grow, especially if it's on metal, some sort of porous stone, or clay. If you don't catch this problem on time, the damage could become permanent.

There are several things that you'll want to keep in mind when you investigate a restoration job. First, you'll want to know approximately how much your item is worth, so that you'll have a good idea of what you want to spend. If you have a rather new, mass-produced item, it may be more economical just to replace it, rather than to have it repaired. Of course, some works would be considered priceless. For them, the primary consideration might only concern how much money you can raise for the project. You'll also need to know what material your item is made of, so that you can search out services who can deal with that type of material.

Whatever the case, you need to obtain an estimate of the job's cost. Small items could be shipped to the service vendor, while large pieces would require a visit from a shop representative. Some places might want for you to send them photos of the item in question. Fees will vary based on the damage to be repaired, in addition to the materials and time required to perform the repairs.

Restoring unique or valuable statuary can be a rewarding experience. Perhaps you can even help preserve a piece of history. You can find many shops that perform statue restoration, by doing a simple Google search.




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