Sealant or coating for marble

We have an upcoming large scale artwork that will be carved from
Vermont Mountain White Marble and Vermont Danby Marble with a honed
finish. It will be permanently displayed indoors in a heavily
trafficked public space. The artist has recommended using a water-
based penetrating sealant to protect and facilitate easier cleaning
from water and oil-based staining. I am concerned about its
irreversibility. Anyone with experience with successes or failures
of penetrating sealants or opinions on coatings that could be
applied before it is installed would be appreciated.  Future
conservation work will take place in situ so dealing with VOC's will
be an issue if coatings need to be removed and re-applied.

David Turnbull
Public Art Conservator
Edmonton arts council
Edmonton, AB CA T5H 3Z9
780-424-2787 ext 231
10440-108 Avenue


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:38
                 Distributed: Sunday, February 13, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-38-024
                                  ***