Restoration of the icon at home by own hands

Restoration of the icon is simply necessary, if it is very many years old, and it eventually lost its original appearance. This is especially true of family relics, which are transferred from one generation to another.

The images become more fragile over time and can deteriorate from sudden temperature changes, from high humidity or dry air. Old icons, the restoration of which can be done independently or entrusted to a specialist, should be stored carefully after this procedure, so that in the future these problems do not arise so quickly.

Common Problems

Restoration of the icon is a very serious and responsible step. If you are not confident in your abilities, better give it to professionals. It is also very important to recognize this or that problem in time and correctly.

The most common is the following:

• The board dries up under the influence of dry air;
• Cracks appear;
• deformation;
• The paint begins to pour;
• Under the influence of moisture, the image is covered with mold or fungus.

It is required to correctly identify the degree of damage, and then you need a timely restoration of the icon, so that you do not lose it later. Often there are problems with the salary of the image, which eventually oxidizes and turns green, which considerably spoils the appearance of the icon. In this case, you can not shoot it yourself, because you can further damage the awkward actions.

Many experts believe that the restoration of the icon at home by unprepared people can not be performed qualitatively, therefore, if you do not have such experience, it is better to give the shrine to professionals. If you have previously done a little of this, you can try to put it in order yourself.

Working solutions

Restoration of icons with their own hands is carried out through the use of special emulsions. Each of them has its own purpose:

• Fisheye glue is used for fixing the paint layer, restoring the wooden parts of the icons and for preventive gluing;
• Beeswax, dissolved in gasoline, helps to process the ends of the wooden part of the structure;
• Wax mastics of different content are used for peeling paint and when the ground is lagging behind. With their help, restore the wooden part and repair cracks;
• Alcohol solution is used to strengthen images that have been lying in a damp room for a long time;
• DDT solution helps when the icon is hit by insects;
• The emulsion on the basis of water and yolk strengthens a paint at an ecdysis in the form of blisters;
• An aqueous solution of surfactant is used to clean the dirt on the surface of the icon.

Features of image processing, infected with microbes

Most often, the defeat focuses on the surface. The restoration of the icon in this case is disinfection and conservation. That is, in the treatment of the surface followed by the introduction of toxic substances into the body, in order to destroy microorganisms.

It should be remembered that when working it is very important to observe security measures. Be sure to paste bandages cuts or wounds on open areas of the skin, do not forget to put on a bathrobe and wash your hands after the procedure.

Features of preventive sticking

Restoration of old icons includes a stage that is a temporary solution for the preservation of certain deformations in order to prevent their subsequent development.

So, the sticking is applied for a period of a month to 3 years, all depends on the degree of damage to the product and its storage conditions. It is impossible to exceed the time limit, otherwise the icon can undergo additional destruction. If there is a need to extend it, you need to change the gluing.

This process is carried out by means of special working solutions of alcohol and tissue paper. Any of its other types can give a strong shrinkage and disrupt the already weak ground. The work is carried out with a wide bristle brush, roller and wet tampon.

If there is mold on the surface, then the gluing should be applied only after alcohol treatment. The paper should be cut into small leaves, the size of which depends on the degree of destruction of the icon and its kind. Apply glue to the surface of the brush to ensure that it is evenly coated, and do not need a lot of glue. The main thing is that after drying does not appear a film that can cause peeling paint.

Course of work

Next, put the leaf on the surface, spread out with the roller, without pressing. Pierce him with a surgical probe, so that the sticking is fully pressed.

To remove it in the future it is necessary either by steaming or by means of a moist tampon. If it was originally correctly applied, it will leave without problems. If not, you need to use a special spatula, but here you should look, so as not to spoil the icon. Do not allow glue to remain on its surface.

How to strengthen the soil and paint

Restoration of the icon can include measures to strengthen. After all, its parts are prone to cracking, lagging and damage to the ground, scratches, mold, cracks, burns and much more.

To fix the paint in peeling or bloating, you need to treat the surface of the icon with alcohol with a soft brush. Movements should be smooth, while you see that there is a lot of solution, otherwise the fragments of the paint layer of the artistic part may shift with each other, and you will damage the image.

Impregnation should be repeated if alcohol is absorbed strongly. Approximately in half an hour, soak the places of strengthening with fish glue with the help of a brush. Remainder of alcohol from the peripheral part with a wet swab.

Soak the surface with glue so that it is saturated evenly. Depending on the speed of absorption, the work will take up to 20 minutes.

After a couple of hours, apply a prophylactic seal with fish glue and press it with a squeezed swab. If there are long hard blisters of the paint, then they should be laid with a fluoroplastic spatula.

Even after half an hour after gluing, iron the surface with a warm iron through filtered paper and fluoroplastic. You need to delete it in 10 days. To do this, moisten the area with a warm swab based on cotton wool and gauze, so that everything gets a little warm.

How to remove surface contaminants

Restoration of home icons rarely means professional and painstaking work, because not everyone can prepare a special solution for cleaning and qualitatively commit gluing when necessary.

But you can remove dirt from the surface of the image and do not have special skills for people. After all, icons, unfortunately, over time collect dust and other pollution.

Than to remove a dirt?

But you can not clean an icon with an ordinary rag and water. For work, prepare the following:

• Aqueous surfactant solution (eg, "Progress");
• Emulsion against contaminants;
• Turpentine or gasoline;
• Special solvents;
• Brush soft (squirrel recommended);
• scalpel;
• Dry cotton swabs;
• Tampons moistened with alcohol.

With the help of the listed tools and tools, gently wipe the icon. There are different methods for cleaning it, they depend on the type and intensity of pollution, as well as on its location and the general state of the product.

For example, to remove dust, soot, wax or soot is best with an aqueous solution. In it or emulsion, moisten the brush and work the surface with rotational movements. Then wipe it with a dry swab. If even after this, compacted dirt remains, remove them mechanically, but that it does not damage the image.

So, first remove the wax with a scalpel, and then dissolve its residues with gasoline, colorful sprays are cleaned with special solvents, and the litter or lime needs to be cleaned with a scalpel, at the same time as accurately as possible.

Not everyone is able to restore the icon. It's one thing to remove small dirt, and quite another to cope with cracks and deformation. So, if you are not sure that you will cope and want to keep the family relic for another hundred years, then it is better to contact a recovery specialist.