Frequently Asked Questions

– We can definitely help to clean and identify the stone on your building. It’s very important to understand the type of stone that has been used in your façade, or you risk using methods that aren’t suitable and may damage the material. If we know your address and have pictures of the property, we can generally identify which type of stone has been used. In addition to this, a site visit and test trials will help to confirm the details.

In general, stone is a porous soft façade material and requires a sensitive method to ensure that it is cleaned in the right approach and avoids the damage that can be caused through sand-blasting and abrasive methods. The correct method for cleaning needs to be selected carefully, through the use of test trials and undertaken by cleaning specialists. Any damage to the building skin that is caused by aggressive methods may cause permanent damage.

At Building Transformation we believe in sensitively restoring and breathing new life in to your façade. Utilising the correct sensitive cleaning methods can help to uplift the appearance of the façade. In many cases, no cleaning or maintenance has been undertaken for many years which leads to a build-up of surface and ingrained soiling which would require an abrasive and damaging method to fully remove. The best way to ensure that the façades appearance and performance is as good as possible, is to regular undertake the cleaning and maintenance of those areas. The regular cleaning can become part of a buildings pre-planned maintenance schedule and will help to avoid costly issues in the future.

The only way to really understand and create clarity over the results that can be achieved through sensitive cleaning, is to undertake pre-project test trials. The Building Transformation testing van is a one of a kind testing unit that is designed to undertake test trials without the need for power and water, allowing us to access any location. These tests will assess the correct methods needed to sensitively clean the façade, whilst also helping you to understand the final result and costs.

Every building and façade is different. The only way to gain an accurate cost is through understanding the specific problems associated with the façade, such as the access needed to reach all areas of the building, when the façade was last cleaned and the type of soiling that is present. When these are combined with building a contextual understanding of the finish the client wants to achieve, we can then start to accurately understand the costs required. The best way to fully and accurately cost the project, is through test trials.

When considering cleaning stone or any type of material, it’s important to know what the material is, the type of soiling that is to be removed and the result that you wish to achieve. Once all those details are known, we can then plan the best approach and methods to sensitively clean and restore the façade. Throughout the projects we utilise, steam cleaners, poultices and other methods that are designed to sensitively breathe new life in to the façade.

With any project that involves cleaning and repairs of the same façade and areas, it’s very important that the cleaning phase happens first. This is to ensure that once the repairs occur, the correct colour of repair mortar, replacement material or repointing is chosen. Otherwise you risk colour matching the repairs to a dirty surface, leaving the façade looking like a patchwork quilt once it has been cleaned.

It’s very tempting to use a pressure washer when cleaning stone or any type of material, as it can be seen as a short term cheap option. However, this approach carries lots of risk and can damage the surface you are cleaning, by removing the top layers of the material skin. In doing so, you open up the inner pores of the material and expose the softer inner core to further weathering and soiling. In general you will find that the façade will then become dirtier much quicker, and the surface erode at an accelerated rate, leaving you with higher rectification costs in the future.

As with using a pressure washer, it’s tempting to use an acid to clean your façade as it can be quicker, cheaper and may provide a ‘new’ appearance for the façade. However, the acid will actually cause even more damage and will permanently scar the building surface, once again causing permanent irreversible damage and leading to higher costs in the long term.

The best way to accurately understand how long any project will take, is through onsite cleaning test trials. The Building Transformation testing van is a one of a kind testing unit that is designed to undertake test trials without the need for power and water, allowing us to access any location. These tests will assess the correct methods needed to sensitively clean the façade, whilst also helping you to understand the final result, how long it will take and the costs.