Condition Assessments

Condition assessments are used to determine the condition of an object, piece of art, or cultural heritage piece before implementing treatments.

Condition Assessments & Surveys

B.R. Howard & Associates provides comprehensive condition assessments and surveys designed to establish a baseline for the preservation of private artwork, institutional collections, sculpture, monuments, and architecture. Our assessments are not merely descriptive; they are technical evaluations that serve as the foundational data for long-term stewardship, insurance valuations, and the prioritization of conservation funding.

Our reports are engineered to meet the requirements of federal grant applications (NEH/NEA/IMLS) and insurance underwriting.

High-Resolution Digital Mapping: Precision documentation of existing damage, previous interventions, and material loss.
Environmental Monitoring Data: Integration of temperature and relative humidity logs to correlate object condition with storage or site-specific stressors.
Actionable Cost Estimations: Every survey includes a detailed "Scope of Work" and estimated budgetary requirements for future stabilization or treatment.

Collection-Wide Surveys & CAP Assessments

We specialize in large-scale surveys for museums and civic collections, providing clients with a prioritized roadmap for preventative care.
General Conservation Assessments: Comprehensive reviews of collection environments, storage conditions, and physical stability across entire holdings.
CAP (Collections Assessment for Preservation): Supporting institutions through the CAP program to identify immediate and long-term risks to their cultural assets.
Prioritized Treatment Sequencing: We provide quantitative data to help administrators allocate budgets toward the artifacts most at risk of active deterioration.

Technical Architectural, Monument, & Macro-Artifact Surveys

For architecture, public art, and macro-sized artifacts, our assessments address both aesthetic and structural integrity.

Corrosion Analysis & Material Testing: Utilizing AMPP/NACE standards to identify active oxidation and coating failure on monumental bronze, iron, and modern alloys.
Structural Integrity Evaluations: Assessing the stability of mounting systems, armatures, and masonry pedestals for oversized sculptures and architectural relics.
Substrate Analysis: Detailed mapping of masonry spalling, efflorescence, and biological growth on historic building fabric and monumental stone.