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CLEANING BY THE GENTLEST MEANS POSSIBLE

HISTORIC BUILDING AND LANDMARK CLEANING

Historical buildings and landmarks demand maintenance and upkeep. Every year countless buildings undergo renovation and restoration. Signs of ongoing damage are assessed and necessary steps are taken to bring the building back to its original state. However, certain variables just can't be reasoned with; time is one of them. Fortunately technology has advanced and now to some degree, we can counter the effects of pollution left on historical structures.

Masonry Cleaning Services

We have cleaned all types of natural stone and brick, ranging from bathstone, limestone, sandstone, marble and granite to hand made brick and pre cast elements
We conduct pre-cleaning masonry surveys, assessing the structure and surface and advising on the best removal method. Avoiding unhelpful stone-cleaning processes, and match the right process to the job.

Low Impact Vapor Blasting

This system is a far cry from sandblasting systems. Our specialty cleaning system uses a mixture of low pressure air, small amounts of water and a safe, inert, fine aggregate such as calcium carbonate. The vapour head is specially designed to generate a gentle swirling vortex which can be used on very large areas or intricate  details of brick or stonework. It gently removes paints, dirt, carbon, bitumen, limescale, graffiti and biological matter from any building finish such as brick, stone, wood and concrete without damaging the substrate.

Used by our trained operators, with very fine aggregate, it is preferred by heritage organizations on older or listed buildings as it will not damage the surface.

Building Cleaning and Sealing

One of the most economical ways to make a dramatic improvement in the appearance of your building facade is cleaning the masonry. Over the years of rain corrosion causes oxides to form on metal components, and leach into the masonry below. Furthermore an increasingly common occurrence, with highly acidic rain is the formation of salts when rain water comes into contact with lime mortar; calcium sulphates, calcium nitrates and many more, sometimes insoluble salts will be formed. Consistent moisture can also cause  biological growth sometimes an almost algae like film, other times thick moss.  One major cause of the dark appearance on historic masonry is atmospheric deposition; deposits of carbon from fuel burning which condense on the surface of masonry. This is especially prevalent in metropolitan areas.

We have a plethora of cleaners, tools, techniques and systems to remove many of these unsightly occurrences. From micro abrasive vapour blasting (not to be confused with sandblasting), steam cleaning and directed low pressure rinses combined with proprietary cleaners, we’ve got you covered.

Paint Stripping

Brick and stone that have been painted can be restored to their original presentation with careful stripping. Removing the layers of old paint reveals a dramatic change to the look of your property.

Paint removal allows masonry to breathe naturally. This reduces future maintenance costs preventing moisture build up behind the paint that can slowly erode the brick face.

Our paint removal process involves an application of an environmentally friendly chemical stripper. This slowly softens the paint allowing us to clean away the paint with careful pressure washing, followed by vapour blasting the remaining bits of paint. Once all the paint is removed we preform a wash with restoration cleaner, removing all residues, carbon and pollution deposits bringing the brick back to its original look.

Poultice Cleaning

Our specialist team carries out poultice cleaning for super sensitive cleaning applications to draw out the surface contaminants. Poultice cleaners are often referred to as latex emulsion cleaners and are highly effective and low impact. This water free cleaning system can be used for safe removal of stains from sandstone, soot, nicotine residues and other unwanted soiling on interior surfaces including walls, ceilings, floors, stucco, natural stone, marble, concrete, brick, render and gypsum sculptures.

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