Doff Stone & Brick Cleaning
Edinburgh, Fife, Scottish Borders, Perth
Torc stone cleaning / peel away stone cleaning
How we do it?
The DOFF “Superheated water” system is very different action to other “steam” or “hot water” systems currently available on the market and should not be confused with them. It uses “superheated” water which exits the nozzle, in a vortex pattern.
The system uses a normal water supply, which then enters a high-pressure pump unit; here the pressure is increased to the required level before entering the “Hotbox”. The pressure can be adjusted by the operator and is independent of temperature settings. With the heater unit, the temperature can be increased up to 150C, before it passes through a heat resistant nozzle. This nozzle directs the super-heated water onto the surface to be cleaned in a scraper like a fan. It is then a case of moving “the scraper” over whatever is being cleaned in an even and methodical manner.
This system can be used to remove organic matter (mosses/lichens/algae’s) from most surface especially stonework and brickwork. The heat of the water also helps to kill the spores of organic matter thus increasing the length of time needed for cleaning. This does not, however, stop all regrowth. To do this then a biocide of some type will be required. Advice can be given on this after contacting us with your requirements.
This system is also used to remove paints from stonework and brickwork – in some cases, a paint softener will also need to be applied to the surface to assist in removal. This system is very kind to the substrate that is being cleaned and is therefore liked by listed building officers throughout the country. To see the difference between a normal pressure washer and the Doff System please look at the photo below.
Paint Removal and Stone Restoration
Using Softener Non-Chemical
Doff Cleaning
Abrasive blasting
Sandblasting can occur naturally, usually as a result of particles blown by wind causing aeolian erosion, or artificially, using compressed air.
We use a mobile dry abrasive blast systems. It’s powered by a diesel air compressor that provides a large volume of high pressure air to a single or multiple “blast pots”. Blast pots are pressurized, tank-like containers, filled with abrasive material, used to allow an adjustable amount of blasting grit into the main blasting line. The number of blast pots is dictated by the volume of air the compressor can provide Our equipment offers high mobility and easy transport from site to site.
Abrasive blasting, more commonly known as sandblasting, is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface or remove surface contaminants.
Sandblast can use a number of minerals, sand or metal particles. Sand is commonly used because it is less expensive than other less abrasive blasting media and works well on many materials.
This system can be used for cleaning and maintaining boats of all sizes. The system removes coatings, corrosion and residue from surfaces in a way that helps the newly-applied marine coatings adhere better and for longer, and makes the process more cost-effective, efficient and environmentally friendly. Sandblasting smooths the unevenness and, when done correctly, results in a clean, flawless finish. A win-win solution.
Boats of all sizes are subject to a constant build up of algae and barnacles, grime and dirt, and a variety of contaminants on the hull, all of which can cause damage and will affect your boat’s longevity and performance.
If you try removing these types of contaminants by hand is very laborious, and it can also cause damage to the surface, specially to a fibreglass hull, as it can be easy to scratch the gelcoat, leading to blisters and fractures.
Because the challenge to fully strip a boat or yacht, some may be apply a fresh coat of anti-fouling paint over the hull without stripping it beforehand. This is the wrong way to do it! Not only you’ll be hiding the problems, it can also result in poor boat performance, due to the excess weight due to the additional layers of paint and a rough bottom.
As we know, boats and ships are prone to corrosion. Rust can affect the hull, propellor, motor and other surfaces, can suffer from crevice corrosion. When a crevice is formed under a deposit of silt or sand, moisture can get trapped, and then becomes stagnant.
It’s important to act quickly when dealing with any form of corrosion. Sand blasting is effective because affected surfaces can be stripped back to a corrosion-free base before being primed and new anti-foul paint applied.