Historic Building Solutions
Traditional ground layers · Virgin natural lacquer · Restoring the old to look old
Architecture Solutions
Solution Overview
"Lacquer in the south, polychrome painting in the north": since the era of the Yingzao Fashi (Treatise on Architectural Methods), Chinese lacquer has been the first line of defence for timber architecture. Restoration follows the principle of "repair the old as the old" — the material must be natural raw lacquer, the technique must follow the traditional ground layer, and not one stage of ash or lacquer may be skipped. This concerns not only appearance, but the lifespan of the timber itself over a century.
We offer restoration units and timber contractors a three-in-one package of materials, technique and guidance: raw lacquer freshly tapped from mature trees in the current year and supplied by project batch; coarse, medium and fine ash matched to the ground layer procedure; and on-site guidance from provincial-level ICH artisans. Samples from every lacquer batch are retained and matched one-to-one with the restoration project files — able to stand up to inspection, and to time.
What is being restored is not a building, but a piece of history passed on to the next generation.
≥70%
Urushiol content of restoration lacquer
5 stages
Traditional ground layer ash stages
30 years
Design protection life of the lacquer film
How We Solve
Our Approach
A complete path from requirement to delivery, with standards, records and traceability at every step.
SurveyCondition survey: assess timber decay and film damage, and determine the depth of intervention
Ground layerGround layer: coarse, medium and fine ash applied stage by stage in the traditional "one hemp, five ash" method
LacqueringLacquer restoration: multiple coats of natural raw lacquer, with colours restored to the original specification
InspectionQuality inspection: testing film thickness and adhesion, with acceptance documentation issued
MaintenanceOngoing maintenance: maintenance manual provided, with periodic review visits
Core Services
Core Services
Lacquer Supply for Restoration
Raw lacquer freshly tapped from mature trees in the current year, supplied by project batch, with every batch traceable.
Ground Layer Materials
Coarse, medium and fine ash and hemp cloth supplied to match each stage of the work.
On-Site Technical Guidance
A team of provincial-level ICH artisans provides on-site guidance and stage-by-stage inspection.
Craftsman Training
Training in ground layer and lacquering techniques for contractors.
Case Studies
Case Studies
The following are extracts from selected projects; contact our business team for details and further cases.
Case Studies
Timber structure repair for a provincial heritage body
- Clienta provincial heritage conservation centre
- Scoperestoration of the ground layer and lacquer finish on the timber structure of a Qing-dynasty ancestral hall
- Progresscompleted and accepted
Case Studies
Restoration of the lacquer decoration on a historic city's archway
- Clientthe management committee of a historic city
- Scopelacquer coating beneath the polychrome layer of a Ming-dynasty archway
- Progress8-month schedule
Case Studies
Re-lacquering of a temple's main hall
- Clienta temple
- Scoperenewal of the ground layer on the main hall's columns and beams
- Progresstraditional "one hemp, five ash" method
Case Studies
Repair of a historic town's traditional stage
- Clienta cultural tourism historic town
- Scopelacquer supply and technical guidance for repairing the timber structure of a historic stage
- Progressincludes 2 years of maintenance follow-up
Cooperation
Working with Zhengdaming
For the full solution booklet and a quotation, please contact our business cooperation team.
Solution Enquiry
Request the full historic architecture solution booklet, samples and a quotation.
Sample Trial
Universities, museums and restoration institutions can obtain samples for trial along with test reports.
Bulk Cooperation
Annual framework supply agreement, underwritten by lacquer grove capacity, with stable and traceable delivery times.