Media blasting meets a Tudor mansion

Photo credit: Main image By Simon Burchell - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recently, we had to put gentle media blasting to the test with a 439-year-old Grade I listed building in Newbury.

A significant landmark

Shaw House is one of the most important and well-preserved H-plan Elizabethan mansions in the country. It was built in 1581 from Tudor-era red brick, which often suffers from excessive algae coverage or invasive plant growth. Water is usually the main culprit when it comes to degradation, getting into cracks between the bricks and saturating them, causing crumbling and staining.

Stripping back the years

In this instance, as part of a wider restoration project, we were called to remove paint from an old outbuilding. The brief was to strip the paint back to reveal the historic red brick beneath and leave it visible to remain in keeping with the rest of the property.

The outbuilding was covered in layers of paint, which had been reapplied over the years. The job of removing it had been previously tackled, but was found to be too time-consuming and so was abandoned. With media blasting, we knew we’d be able to make quick work of it.

Restoring character

We used a combination of low pressurised air, water and fine crushed glass to remove the paint. The water keeps dust production to a minimum during cleaning and makes for a smoother finish. The project turned out really well, with the process uncovering the traditional brick walls beneath and restoring the outbuilding’s original character.

If you manage a historic building that requires a similarly gentle approach, call Max or Andy Morris on 0333 234 1445 or email your enquiry and we will get back to you as soon as possible.