Conservation Lab

Modern restoration and conservation practices demand the use of the most up-to-date techniques, materials and equipment. Our conservation laboratory is amongst the most well equipped in the country, supplied with a full range of art conservation equipment, materials and chemical supplies to support the application of cleaning, repair, stabilization, restoration and preservation techniques.

The lab is located just outside Vancouver, Canada.  We have physical security and fire detection and monitoring.  FSR is the only private lab in Western Canada with a multi-purpose heated suction table for cold lining of paper and paintings, heated lining of paintings, vapour treatments and consolidation.  We also have an immersion sink for washing paper and archival materials, suction platens for repair and stain removal, motorized tools for the repair and finishing of sculpture, steam pen, hot air pens, wax carver, consolidation heating tool, an encapsulation welder, exacting heated spatulas, an HPLV sprayer and variable colour temperature inpainting lights.

The lab has gathered conservation fabrics, papers and materials over decades, and is always acquiring and testing new materials and procedures.  The lab has every possible adhesive, consolidant, pigments, resins and inpainting media for the unrestricted application of the appropriate conservation procedure.  The latest additions to the lab include chemicals for preparation of the Modular Cleaning System formulas, high conductivity cleaning formulas for acrylic paintings, rigid gels such as gellam gum and agarose for cleaning and stain removal, and poulticing textiles such as Tek-Wipe.

For examination and documentation, we have the use of stereo-binocular operating and table microscopes, ultraviolet fluorescence, infra-red reflectography, examination lighting and digital photographic equipment.  Safety equipment in the lab includes a fume hood and mobile fume extraction arm.