Steam Cleaning Charter House School Godalming - Before

Centuries ago, when the historic buildings of today were first constructed, no-one could possibly have anticipated the sort of pollution that inhabits out air space today. Smoke and fumes from the industrial era, combined with the grease, oil and emissions that freely flow from modern vehicles, have a way of taking their toll on the bricks and mortar beauty of our beautiful old structures.

Fortunately, modern cleaning practices have made it possible for historic building to receive a facelift of sorts, turning back the clock and restoring a large measure of their former brilliance. There are two very specific systems used to aid in the beautification and cleaning of historic buildings, both of which do so without causing any sort of damage to the original work.

The first cleaning method is called the Jos Torc system which is effective in the cleaning of brick, marble, concrete, wood and stone. Rather than relying on abrasive chemicals to get the job done, the Jos Torc system employs a low pressure, rotating vortex of fine powder that is both clean and safe. This particular system is normally used to remove dirt caused by build-ups of carbon, pollution and micro-organisms, and is extremely effective in the cleaning of finely detailed parts of the building.

The other cleaning method is known as the Doff system, and it is normally used in conjunction with Jos Torc.  This system is used to eradicate much more stubborn damage such as oil, paint, grease, and bitumen. In order to do so, the Doff system uses a combination of pressure and heat which is far removed from the steam and hot water systems used by many modern building cleaners.

Steam Cleaning Charter House School Godalming - After

This type of specialized work requires years of training and experience in order to be done properly, and remove any chance of damage being done to the structure. Only approved contractors should be hired to take on a job of this magnitude, and failure to do so could result in the sort of structural damage that no amount of modern technology and cleaning practices could repair. All of our historic buildings have stood the test of time thanks in large part to the skill, care and craftsmanship of the men who built them. It would be a shame to see them destroyed by people who don’t possess the same attributes of those gifted builders.

At Blastaway we are skilled in the sensitive restoration of historic and listed buildings. Contact us today to see how we can help you restore your listed property or historical building.

Victorian Stable Block - Wallingford - After

Sandblasting is a term used for the process of removing very fine pieces of materials from a surface for the purpose of cleaning. Although any small relatively uniform pieces will work, the most commonly used materials for this process are fine bits of walnut or coconut shells, steel grit, copper slag or iron silicate, garnet, corn or wheat starch, dry ice and other powdered abrasives. Traditionally, sand was the most commonly used material but prolonged inhalation of the dust created during its use was proven to have caused a lung disease called Silicosis.

This process is very useful in aesthetic and hygienic purposes. It is being used primarily to clean a surface and rid it of from anything that is not supposed to be clinging on it. Examples for this are removal of mold marks that are not easily erased by household cleaning agents and old paint removal.

If sandblasting is needed, one should be able to carefully choose which sandblasting company to hire or risk wasting money. Here are tips and guidelines on how to choose the right sandblasting company:

1. It is important to take note of the company’s experience. Take notice of how long they have been in the industry and research well about their work’s outcome. If possible try to take a look on the “before” and “after” images of their past works especially if you intend them to clean a large surface for you.

2. Take special note of their background by knowing at least some of their past clients and be aware of their feedback. Keep in mind that they should be client based. This will at least determine if they give quality work and if they are truly reliable.

3. Take note that all of their operators and personnel should be holding current *IPAF (International Powered Access Federation) and *CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) cards- this will help you determine if their manpower are equipped with the right skills, knowledge and discipline in doing their task.

4. All operators should be well experienced with all blasting techniques as manifested by the IPAF and CSCS certifications issued to them.

All operators in BLAST AWAY Mobile Blast Cleaning Contractors hold updated certificates from IPAF and CSCS. For details and information please call 0118- 959- 3000 or 07836- 758469.

Steam Cleaning Charter House School Godalming – Before

Steam Cleaning Charter House School Godalming – After

Steam Cleaning Charter House School Godalming – Before

Steam Cleaning Charter House School Godalming – After

Blastaway were contracted by the schools maintenance department to carefully and sympathetically steam clean these patterned roof tiles removing all the algae and lichen restoring them back to their former glory.

As you can see in the photos, the steam cleaning techniques we used on the school roof tiles gave great results to this lanmark building.

Green Oak Cleaning Near Lambourn - Before

Green Oak Cleaning Near Lambourn - After

Green Oak Cleaning Near Lambourn - Before

Green Oak Cleaning Near Lambourn - After

Green Oak Cleaning Near Lambourn - Before

Green Oak Cleaning Near Lambourn - After

These are green oak beams and floor joists on a new build property in Great Shefford near Lambourn Berkshire where the green oak being very acidic, has reacted with the metal of the machine blades to leave dark stains.

Blastaway are contracted by many green oak building companies to blast clean their structures to remove all tannin stains, water stains and other manufacturing marks to leave the oak structure clean of all imperfections.

This oak cleaning process also enhances the wood grain and makes the building look more attractive as an end result.

Old Victorian Houses in Bray - Before

Old Victorian Houses in Bray - After

Here we have some Old Victorian houses sometime have old lime-wash paint to the front lower elevations which can look unsightly.  We were initially instructed to carry out paint removal on the brickwork of the house on the left.  However the next door neighbour was so impressed with the results that he asked us to remove the paint from the brickwork on his property as well.

Farmhouse Conversion at Waltham St Lawrence Berks - Before

Farmhouse Conversion at Waltham St Lawrence Berks - After

Very careful and sympathetic blast cleaning to remove the old paint from these beams in this grade 2 listed property as part of a full renovation.

Blasting was carried out before the woodworm treatment to allow the fluid to penetrate into the timbers and kill any wood worm.

Victorian Stable Block - Wallingford

Victorian Stable Block - Wallingford - After

Careful and sympathetic blasting was required on this Victorian stable block to remove old limewash paint to return the brickwork back to its former glory.

The Blastaway team are skilled in the best blast cleaning techniques for careful paint removal from brickwork.

sadhbsjfd

Offensive Graffiti Removal in Banbury Oxon

Graffiti Removal Banbury Oxon - After

Offensive graffiti removal in Banbury.  On this particular occasion we had to use a gentle blast cleaning process using bicarbonate of soda to remove the graffiti so as to avoid damaging the brick face.  The location was next to one of Banbury’s canals so a chemical removal would not be possible because the chemicals could find their way into the water course.

Graffiti Removal Banbury Oxon - During

The building was being completely renovated for the client who had no previous idea of the beautiful brickwork being hidden by the paint.

After we had removed all the paint from the brickwork the building was completely re-pointed.

Tower House - Before

Tower House - After

Tower House - Before

Tower House - After

As you can see from the photographs, the building has been completely transformed and looks fantastic.

Over time, the patio areas had become covered in lichen, algae and weeds and never looked clean – even after initial steam cleaning.

York Stone Blast Cleaning - Before

York Stone Blast Cleaning After

To get the york stones back to their original clean state, we carefully blast cleaned the stone using a very fine blasting media.  This had the effect of restoring the surface of the york stone without damaging the surface.