If you live or run a business from a listed building in the UK you’ll know that you need to keep on top of maintenance to ensure you preserve its historic features. However, it can be tricky to know how best to take care of the exterior of such buildings.
The main principles of repairing and maintaining historic buildings involve fixing any issues as soon as possible to prevent any long-term damage to the structure itself.
Regularly cleaning the building’s stonework is important to not only prevent plants from growing on the buildings and potentially damaging them, but also to highlight any areas of damage that might need more substantial repairs.
Of course, you want to avoid using chemical cleaners or any abrasive techniques when you’re working with old stone – especially if it features carvings or any other intricate details. This is where superheated steam cleaning can be particularly effective.
Superheated steam cleaning machines are very gentle on the underlying stonework. They remove the likes of mould, algae and weeds using superheated steam – at around 150 degrees C – that is sprayed over the surface at a very low pressure.
The process is generally less messy than other cleaning methods and it can take time, but it is well worth it for the overall outcome and the fact that you do not damage the underlying stones, ensuring your building stays in the best possible condition.
Should the cleaning process reveal stubborn stains on the stonework, an experienced contractor will be able to use a more aggressive technique – such as a sand jet – to get rid of that mark, should it be appropriate to do so.
England is renowned for its historic buildings and there are over 378,000 listed buildings in the country. Each of these is graded as either Grade I, Grade II* or Grade II.
Grade I listed buildings are the ones of greatest historical interest. Grade II* buildings are considered to be of more than special interest. Between them, these categories make up less than ten per cent of England’s listed buildings.
Meanwhile, Grade II buildings, which are the most common, signify that a building is of special interest.
