Wall Coating Using the Escariola Technique

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the rediscovery of a technique of interior wall decoration known as Escariola which was introduced by Austrian and Italian immigrants to the mid-west region of the state of Santa Catarina (southern Brazil) at beginning of the twentieth century. This coating provides a refined, attractive and durable finishing. Historical investigation combined with sample characterization using X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and differential thermal and thermogravimetric analyses (DTA/TGA) revealed that this technique consists of the application on a rendered masonry wall of a 2–3 mm thick layer of slaked lime/white cement paste which is subsequently polished with talcum powder. Samples of Escariola paste were empirically reformulated and tested on a rendered masonry wall. Guidelines for producing Escariola are proposed here.