A Guide to Historic Building Cleaning
Posted on 23rd January 2023 at 10:41
Historic building cleaning is a way of preserving the beauty of history and keeping the magic of the past alive.
But how is it done and how is it different from cleaning a modern building?
The team from Encanto has put together our guide for historic building cleaning, and how it is best done to help preserve the beauty of the buildings.
Ready to arrange your historic building cleaning? Enquire with the Encanto team today.
Why Should Historic Buildings be Cleaned?
Historic buildings should be cleaned to help their preservation. We should be preserving history and keeping the beautiful architecture of years passed, alive in the present.
Cleaning historic buildings preserve their structure for future generations to enjoy. It also massively minimises the chances of expensive repairs to the infrastructure of the building.
When Should a Historic Building be Cleaned?
A historic building should be cleaned when it incurs certain types of damage. These include:
Vandalism
In the unfortunate event of vandalism occurring on a historic building, it should be professionally cleaned as soon as physically possible.
Tackling the graffiti sooner rather than later, minimises the chance of any long-term damage to the building and will restore it to its beautiful self.
Air pollution
This is probably the most common cause of damage to historic buildings. Air pollution occurs often without us even seeing it. Factors such as air-borne particulates and acid rain can have a long-term effect on historic buildings.
The key to preserving them lies in the regular cleaning of historic buildings, reducing the damage caused by air pollution.
Biological Factors
This may be in the form of algae, bacteria or fungi. All of these can potentially damage your historic building, mainly if it features stonework.
Water Damage
As with modern homes, water and dampness can seriously hinder the longevity of your property.
Damp and rot from the surrounding environment can come into contact with stonework, and cause long-term damage.
How are Historic Buildings Cleaned?
Historic buildings are cleaned using specialist techniques. Here is a round-up of Encanto’s dos and don'ts of historic building cleaning.
Do
Use non-abrasive chemicals
Find out which chemicals work well with which surfaces i.e marble, copper, bronze and brick
Use less pressure on surfaces to give a gentle
Use soft bristle brushes
Don't
Use abrasive, harsh chemicals
Use sandblasting techniques
Use wire brushes
Who can do Listed Building Cleaning?
Listed building cleaning can be done by professional cleaning companies. In this instance, it is a much safer choice to leave it in the hands of professionals, with experience cleaning historic buildings.
Professional listed building cleaning companies will know what tools to use, and to not use and how to best clean different types of building materials.
Simply put, professional cleaning companies give you the best chance of preserving the history of listed buildings and will get the job done correctly.
Historic Building Cleaning in the West Midlands
Encanto, based in Birmingham, offers exterior cleaning services across the West Midlands. We are proud to offer a listed building cleaning service that helps keep history alive.
Enquire with our 5-star rated team today, and find out more about our historic building cleaning service
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