Where Is Stone Used
Stone is used throughout the built environment, as well as by artists for creating monuments and sculptures. OneFifty is experienced in cleaning many different types of stone including varieties of sandstone, limestone, slate, granite, marble and flint.
Stone becomes discoloured by atmospheric contaminants, especially in built up areas where there is a high volume of traffic. It is also subject to organic pollutants (biofilms) such as algae, lichen and moss. Algae in particular can make stone look dirty and poorly maintained and, like other biofilms, can cause damage to the stone.
Sadly vandals are as likely to graffiti an historic building as they are a modern block of flats. Cleaning up graffiti is one of our specialisms and we provide a safe, efficient and effective service to clean graffiti from historic stone.
Cleaning Stone - The Method
Different types of stone require different cleaning treatments. Harder stone is, logically, more robust whereas historic and soft stone require a far gentler approach.
Our equipment has a range of operating modes making it extremely flexible. Being able to adjust both pressure and temperature allows us to deliver the most appropriate cleaning method and achieve the best possible results every time.
We always run a test clean on a discreet area of the stone to determine the best approach. We also identify any vulnerable or damaged areas that might need extra special care. In this way we can ensure that our treatment complies with even the most stringent of conservation guidelines.