Dictionary of Moisture Protection & Restoration

Too often, I have heard, “ I am fixing the bottom of the column at the front of the church” instead of “ I am repairing the torus on the west column of the transept”. The lack of proper designation and placement has often resulted in mistakes, such as doing the wrong column or the wrong component of that column. The supervising conservator will not respect the best craftsman if he or she uses an incorrect term to describe a specific component. Naturally, it is very difficult for a craftsman to study and re- member the terminology of all landmark compo- nents he or she will be required to repair or re- place. For this purpose, I have provided an alphabetical inventory of the elements that you will likely encounter in the restoration trade in the United States. It is an easy reference, readily available that you will enjoy and should allow you to gain the respect of the supervising professionals. If you fail to find a component in this handbook, I suggest that you refer to the Dictionary of Ar- chitecture & Construction by Cyril M. Harris, Third Edition. The following illustrations and description are taken from the Dictionary of Architecture & Construction by Cyril M. Harris, The Library of Congress and my personal drawings.

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