Stone and Brick Cleaning with Softwashing, Doff, Steam and Pressure Jet washing in London, Manchester, Birmingham
Stone, limestone and bricks all take in and show dirt differently. The only similarity is that they don’t look good when they’re grimy, so taking some time to give them a clean can really make a difference.
How do you clean stone?
When cleaning stone, you should make sure you know what sort of stone your building is made of. Granite and concrete, for example, will require different maintenance and different services. However, there are a few things you should know. Firstly, stone is quite porous and will absorb stains and liquids easily. This is worth being aware of if you’re thinking of installing stone floors. For a three step option, cleaners will scrub grout lines with a pre-spray, before moving on to get the dirt off with a high pressure rotary wand, and finish the job with a buffer to make the stone look shiny. To keep stone looking nice, this should be done once every year.
How do you clean limestone?
When cleaning limestone you need to make sure you don’t use any acid-based cleaners, because this can damage the limestone. Other than that, it’s fairly straightforward: start by sweeping away anything that’s accumulated on the limestone, then pressure wash the limestone using a hose and water (use a low setting and don’t do this on damaged limestone). If there are greasy stains, you can use soapy water (washing up liquid is fine) and kitty litter on any oil spills. Finally, try a limestone cleaner for any remaining stains. If you need to, you can make one from hydrogen peroxide and flour mixed into a paste.
How do you clean bricks?
Cleaning bricks is probably the most straightforward. The cleaner will need to use water to rinse over the bricks, then scrub them with a brush and possibly a brick cleaner made of washing up liquid and salt to act as a kind of exfoliant. This can be done as regularly as the building’s owner likes, and will probably depend on if the bricks are indoors or outdoors.
Sympathetic stone and brick building restoration solutions
Technical fabric advice, evidence-based support or a fresh perspective! Talk to Us Today.
We restore sandstone, limestone, brick, and terracotta, working with the condition of the building, adjusting cleaning methods to suit the condition of the masonry, and ensuring to create a balanced finish without over-cleaning or damaging the façade. Our methods are aligned BS 8221-1:2012: Cleaning and surface repair of buildings.
All methods and processes we employ to clean the masonry are conservation lead, giving you peace of mind that the best methods are employed. We provide a complete façade restoration, masonry repair, and cleaning solution for historic and listed properties. We work with you to ensure all the correct planning regulations are in place and all relevant BS standards have been observed and understood before moving forward with the project. We use hot water cleaning, low-pressure cleaning and steam to restore, preserve and maintain soiled building façades.
Onsite façade cleaning test trials are essential in creating pre-project clarity and cost certainty, this process enables us to collectively build greater understanding. We employ solutions to remove staining such as carbon, traffic film, effluence staining, leeched salts, organic matter, environmental pollution and paint from your stone or brick building façade. We help guide you through the process, ensuring that the correct products are matched, and methods used in the processes. Providing you with the technical information and advice to help support your conservation planning, listed building consent, and architectural requirements.
Our stone and brick façade refurbishment services include
- Façade steam cleaning and restoration: Super-heated steam, Nebulus and poultice cleaning
- Removal of carbon, effluence staining, organic matter, pollution and salt leaching
- Paint removal from building facades
- Masonry, concrete and façade repairs
- Traditional roofing and leadwork
- Installation of traditional rainwater and guttering systems
- Sash window repair and decoration
- Installation of internal lime plasters and renders
- Specialist decorations such as gilding and limewashing
- Roof leak detection and integrity testing
Echo Arena
The work provided by Building Transformation was excellent. Their product and building exteriors knowledge is detailed, comprehensive and practically applied to the client’s needs. They offer a professional, detailed, high-quality and customer- focused service which meets the short, medium and long-term needs of the client, and provides practical, cost-realistic advice.
Carillion Amey
Customer service is paramount to Building Transformation and they invested vast amounts of time in providing me with a programme to facilitate what was a very complex and time-specific programme of work for the site. The quality and level of support provided by Building Transformation is priceless to any client/contractor.
Echo Arena
The work provided by Building Transformation was excellent. Their product and building exteriors knowledge is detailed, comprehensive and practically applied to the client’s needs. They offer a professional, detailed, high-quality and customer-focused service which meets the short, medium and long-term needs of the client, and provides practical, cost-realistic advice.
Land Securities
A 200,000 sq. ft., four-storey leisure venue in the heart of Nottingham city centre surrounded by major traffic routes needed work to be done overnight. The Building Transformation staff were flexible and able to work around dynamic operational issues completing the project within three weeks.
May & Co
May & Co have worked with Building Transformation on a number of projects which have included external building cleaning and refurbishment. They provided a great service, supported by the high level of documentation from the initial quotation to books and industry-related guidance, all relevant to our project.
Broadgate Estates Ltd.
I am using Building Transformation’s work to help justify façade restoration works around our business. They have produced excellent presentations on what can be achieved and is a brilliant piece of informed marketing that is helping win people over in our business to take façade cleaning and restoration more seriously.
Edward Cooper Young
Building Transformation is always mindful of the environments they are working in and take the time to understand the restrictions of each site; whether they be physical or due to the client’s day to day activities. They are extremely proactive and ensure that any issues are flagged to a client immediately, and when doing so always make sure a solution is provided. I couldn’t recommend Building Transformation more highly.
Novotel Sheffield
I had a walk around today with Dave and am impressed with the work so far. Dave and the team have done a great job.
I’d certainly love to work with you in the future so perhaps before the job is completed we could look at what opportunities there are for the future.
Novotel Leeds
At this stage, from my point of view your team has been extremely professional, informing us of what was happening at all times and most importantly no disruption whatsoever to our guests and business.
Renaker
The team at Building Transformation understood our challenge of finding a facade cleaning solution that would initially restore the glazing to its original state, protecting our building for years to come. Through intelligent and thorough testing right through to the full restoration of Block D, we have been very satisfied with the project management and delivery of the cleaning programme.
ACC, Liverpool
The work that was provided by company Building Transformation was excellent. Their product and building exteriors knowledge is detailed, comprehensive and practically applied to the client’s needs. Professional, detailed, high quality and customer focused service which meets the short, medium and long terms needs of client’s issues and provides practical, cost realistic advice. .