Masonry Cleaning
Cleaning historic masonry is a conservation decision rather than a cosmetic one. Soiling can conceal decay, but it can also be protecting the surface, and aggressive cleaning removes the fired skin of brick or the case-hardened surface of stone and opens the fabric to accelerated weathering. The firms in this category use controlled methods: nebulous water spray, poultices, low-pressure micro-abrasive systems and steam, usually preceded by trial panels. Many also handle paint and graffiti removal, and the treatment of biological growth and salt staining.
What this category covers
- Nebulous water spray and steam cleaning of stone
- Poultice cleaning and salt and stain removal
- Low-pressure micro-abrasive and precision cleaning systems
- Paint, cement and graffiti removal from historic masonry
- Trial panels, testing and cleaning specifications
A F Jones Stonemasons Ltd
MASTER STONEMASONS: A F Jones is a fifth-generation stonemason (established 1858) based ...
Boden & Ward Stonemasons Ltd
CRAFTSMEN IN STONE: Masons and stone carvers, highly experienced in all aspects ...
Bullen Conservation Ltd
Bullen Conservation is a building conservation contractor founded in 2003 and based ...
Cotswold Sandblasting
Cotswold Sandblasting Services Ltd is a mobile blast-cleaning contractor based at Bourton-on-the-Water, ...
Dry Ice Blast Cleaning by Gransden Construction Ltd
Dry Ice Blast Cleaning is a service run by Gransden Construction, a ...
The Wessex Conservation Company
The Wessex Conservation Company is a Somerset-based team specialising in the sympathetic ...
Cleaning historic masonry safely
Ask why it is being cleaned. Removing soiling to allow inspection or repair, or to remove damaging salts and cement, is a good reason. Appearance alone is a weaker one, and on some buildings the patina is part of the significance.
Insist on trial panels. Different stones, bricks and soiling types respond very differently, and the only way to establish a method is to test it in an inconspicuous area and assess it after it has dried out. Consent conditions normally require this anyway.
Rule out high-pressure water and open abrasive blasting. Both remove the outer surface as well as the dirt, drive water deep into the wall, erode mortar joints and leave brick and stone far more vulnerable than before. The damage is permanent and immediately obvious years later.
Plan for what happens after. Wet cleaning saturates a wall and mobilises salts, so timing, drying time and protection of interiors, joinery and glass all need thought. Repointing and repair usually follow cleaning rather than precede it.
Questions to ask
Will cleaning damage my stonework?
It can, if the method is wrong. High-pressure water and abrasive blasting remove the weathered surface that protects the stone. Controlled low-pressure and poultice methods, selected after trial panels, are designed to remove soiling without touching the substrate.
Does cleaning a listed building need consent?
Usually yes, because cleaning affects the appearance and fabric of the building. Authorities typically want the method, the trial panel results and the justification submitted together, so allow time before the scaffold goes up.
Should I clean the whole building or just part of it?
It depends on the aim. Patch cleaning around repairs can leave a conspicuous contrast, while cleaning everything is more invasive and more expensive. The decision should follow from why the cleaning is being done and how the elevation will read afterwards.
All 7 businesses listed under Masonry Cleaning
- A F Jones Stonemasons Ltd Berkshire
- Boden & Ward Stonemasons Ltd Northamptonshire
- Bullen Conservation Ltd Lancashire
- Cotswold Sandblasting Gloucestershire
- Dry Ice Blast Cleaning by Gransden Construction Ltd Kent
- M. Axell Stone Restoration Ltd Kent
- The Wessex Conservation Company Somerset
Directory information is provided to help visitors identify potentially relevant specialists and suppliers. Inclusion does not constitute a recommendation, approval or guarantee by Tuscan Foundry Products. Please check current services, credentials, availability and suitability directly with each business.