The Restoration Process
It’s a 2 Step Process
Phase One – Stage 1: Documentation
Each monument has undergone an extensive analysis in which all minor and major damages have been documented.
Phase One – Stage 2: Cleaning
Utilizing today’s foremost delicate masonry cleaning supplies and techniques, the grotto has been washed to remove the 100 years of dirt and grime. This process reveals the colors hidden by age and the extent of the needed repairs.
Phase One – Stage 3: Seal Coating
To help the monuments shed water faster, a breathable seal coat has been applied to the stony edifice. This specialty coating is custom designed to help the structures survive longer and slow down water’s movement through the structure.
Phase Two – Stage 1: Sourcing Stones
All of the various material that was used in the Grotto’s original construction now needs to be found anew. Petrified wood, quartz, pyrite, granite, glass, china, marble, shells and so many other materials all need to be located and shipped to the grotto. Some pieces are salvaged from sections of the grotto that have fallen off over the years.
Phase Two – Stage 2: Structural Repairs
Some Grotto components need serious structural repairs on the decorative layer. The original mortar formula is reused to create a repair that is similar in strength and composition to the rest of the monument. This recipe had been recorded in the Grotto’s history books and is faithfully replicated today.
Phase Two – Stage 3: Decorating
After all of the structural repairs are complete, the new materials and salvaged stones are all integrated back into the repaired Grotto structures.
