Selection of adhesives and fillers in conservation of wooden monument deteriorated by termite with reference to dharumavantha rasegafanu mosque at male, maldives

The selection of the appropriate adhesive and filler is always an important issue in conservation of wooden artifacts of Cultural Heritage. A poor adhesive can cause further and sometimes irreversible damage, both aesthetically and mechanically to an already deteriorated object. Hence, before selecting a potential adhesive, its performance is assessed by several criteria including i) long term stability ii) reversibility iii) characteristics after curing such as colour, hardness, brittleness and sensitivity to relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T) iv) bond strength v) physical characteristics such as open and closed time, viscosity, concentration vi) health and safety issues and vii) cost and ease of application11-14. The functional requirements of gap-filling adhesive for use in the structural conservation of Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu Mosque impose considerable constraints on the choice of material for this purpose. Some degree of flexibility in the adhesive is considered an important material characteristic. Adhesive types considered include natural and synthetic, water based materials such as acrylic and polyvinyl acetate. The paper presents an evaluation, based on accumulated personal experience from the practice of wood conservation and performance of a range of adhesive systems for gap-filling application.