The effectiveness of Sansevieria trifasciata cuticle isolation to protect the materials of cultural heritage object against weathering caused by rainwater

This research discusses the use of Sansevieria trifasciata as a natural water repellent for andesite and brick materials. Most of the outdoor cultural heritage objects are made of andesite and brick materials and are subject to disaggregation caused by rainwater. The decision to choose to isolate the cuticle of Sansevieria trifasciata based on knowledge that cuticle on plant can become water repellent on the plant and its availability is abundant in Indonesia. The authors isolated the cuticle of Sansevieria trifasciata for coating surface of andesite and brick materials and created an alternative solution by using natural substance against weathering of cultural heritage objects. The result shows that the cuticle isolation can effectively prevent the absorption of water on andesite but it cannot prevent absorption of the brick material. Although it’s effective to reduce water absorption for andesite, cuticle isolation has changed the surface colour of andesite and brick materials. Referring to the principles of cultural heritage management, cuticle isolation has changed the authenticity of the material. Therefore, in the future, more research is needed to achieve the transparent color of cuticle isolation before being applied to cultural heritage objects