Stone Cleaning Frome, Bath & The Surrounding Areas

Stone buildings are delightful to look at and incredibly durable, which is why so many of them have lasted through the ages to become our treasured architectural heritage. Stone is, however, vulnerable to the ravages of time in one respect – being porous (especially our lovely local Bath Stone) it is inclined to become soiled, soaking up pollutants and dirt like a sponge. Sometimes we come across stonework that has been painted over or marred by graffiti.

Because we love stone and are committed to conservation of this natural building material, Gorgon Stone has become expert at cleaning stonework and stripping paint from it using approved products and techniques.

Cleaning stonework and stone masonry is not only done to improve the appearance and aesthetics of stone buildings, but also because soiling can cause decay. In our towns and cities, especially in busy centres like Bath, Frome and Warminster which have a large number of stone buildings, vehicle exhaust emissions and environmental pollution cause not only discolouration of stonework but can actually cause it to deteriorate.

Exhausts emit sulphur dioxide which reacts with stone to form calcium sulphate crystals which trap pollution, eventually forming a black crust on the stonework, clogging its pores and ultimately causing decay.

We also clean stonework when it is necessary to examine the condition of a building, because grimy deposits can conceal cracks and other structural faults. Cleaning is also required when a stone building has a new extension added or repairs done where old stonework is replaced with new, so that the original stone can be restored to blend in with the colour of the new stone.

When we are called in to clean stonework we first conduct a pre-cleaning survey to assess the structure, the state of the stone, the surface and the types of soiling we are dealing with, so that we can decide on the best stone-cleaning method for the job. As experienced professionals the team at Gorgon Stone will not proceed with cleaning any stonework until we are confident that it can be done safely without any adverse effects.

We are fully trained and equipped with our own machinery, including the DOFF steam based stone cleaning system and the patented ThermaTech® system that removes all sorts of things like oil, paint and chewing gum, without using chemicals if there is the danger of damaging the stonework.

These superheated water cleaning systems work by emitting jets of water or steam at extremely high temperatures which are directed at the stonework using gentle pressure by experienced, qualified operatives. Using these techniques we can safely remove all sorts of surface soiling and debris from old stone without disturbing the underlying historic render and masonry. Everything from old limewash to wax, bitumen, algae, bird fouling and paint can be almost melted away.

The Gorgon Stone cleaning team are also adept at using the highly specialised poulticing method to remove stubborn and specific blemishes on finely detailed stonework. A poultice made from paper pulp with chemical additives appropriate for removing the particular type of soiling is applied.

If you have stonework on your property that could do with a good clean to restore it to its former glory and keep it healthy for the future, get in touch with Gorgon Stone.

Gorgon Stone Conseration has experience with cleaning stonework and paint stripping using approved products and techniques.

We are able to offer high standard of stone cleaning services across a wide range of techniques: