Research needs for Cultural Heritage conservation: 1 – Outlining new diagnostic protocols for materials’ restoration

In architectural restoration works on cultural heritage, no operation (cleaning, consolidation, etc.) can be properly performed without a suitable preliminary diagnostic investigation about the materials’ nature and decay processes and products. Yet, diagnostics is still regarded as marginal by the many professional committed in restoration and is performed with casualness. As a consequence, approximate and unsatisfactory restoration works are often carried out and, in the worst cases, further damage are caused to architectural heritage. In order to enhance the use of diagnostics in restoration, diagnostic protocols based on a holistic approach are needed (flexible enough to be applied all over Europe) and relevant harmonised standards should be set up.