Restore brick, stone, bronze, and ornate detail without chemical or abrasive damage. The same technology specified for the Jefferson Memorial and U.S. Supreme Court. Now mobile in the tri-state.
Historic buildings accumulate layers of pollution deposits, biological growth (algae, lichen, moss), failed paint, graffiti, and atmospheric staining over decades. These contaminants accelerate deterioration of the underlying stone, brick, and metal. Cleaning is not cosmetic. It is preservation.
The standard cleaning methods each damage what they are trying to save. Sandblasting erodes soft stone (limestone, brownstone, sandstone), rounds carved edges on terra cotta and ornamental detail, and removes the fire-skin from brick, exposing the softer interior to accelerated weathering. Chemical cleaning (acid, alkaline, or solvent-based) leaves residue that migrates into porous stone, causing efflorescence, staining, and long-term chemical deterioration. Pressure washing drives water deep into masonry joints, promoting freeze-thaw spalling and biological re-growth.
The Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties explicitly requires that cleaning methods be the “gentlest means possible.” Laser cleaning meets this standard. It removes surface contaminants without contact, without chemicals, and without water penetration. The substrate is untouched at the molecular level.
In the tri-state, pre-1978 buildings with lead-bearing paint require EPA RRP Lead-Safe Certified contractors for any paint removal work. We hold this certification. Most sandblasting and pressure washing contractors do not.
Applications
USE CASE 01
Facade Cleaning
Remove decades of pollution staining, soot deposits, and biological growth from stone, brick, terra cotta, and stucco facades. Laser cleaning reveals the original surface color and texture without eroding the material. No water penetration into masonry joints. No chemical residue in porous stone.
USE CASE 02
Monument and Sculpture Restoration
Clean bronze, marble, granite, and cast-iron monuments, statues, and decorative elements. Remove surface oxidation (patina preservation is adjustable by parameter), bird droppings, atmospheric deposits, and graffiti. Zero contact with the original surface.
USE CASE 03
Graffiti Removal from Historic Masonry
Remove spray paint from carved stone, ornamental concrete, and historic brick without damaging the substrate texture. Sandblasting destroys soft stone. Chemical removers leave stains. Laser vaporizes the paint and leaves the stone intact. Effective on single incidents and repeated vandalism sites.
Substrate erosion
0
Chemical residue
0
Water penetration
0
EPA
RRP Lead-Safe Certified
"EPA RRP Lead-Safe Certified. NYS DOL credentialed. Fully insured. We hand you the compliance documentation along with the clean substrate."
Yes. The Secretary of the Interior Standards require the “gentlest means possible” for historic surface cleaning. Laser cleaning is non-contact, chemical-free, and water-free. It is the gentlest effective method available for removing contaminants from historic stone, brick, and metal. Institutions including the National Park Service, the Smithsonian, and European heritage organizations have adopted laser cleaning for this reason.
Yes. Limestone and brownstone are soft, porous stones that sandblasting destroys. The laser energy is absorbed by the surface contaminant (soot, paint, biological growth) and reflected by the stone. There is no abrasive impact, no chemical penetration, and no water absorption. The stone surface emerges clean without loss of carved detail or surface texture.
We are EPA RRP Lead-Safe Certified. On pre-1978 buildings, we strip lead-bearing coatings by laser without generating airborne lead particles, without requiring Class 1A containment, and without creating hazardous blast media waste. The vaporized material is captured in our HEPA filtration system. Compliance documentation is provided for regulatory review.
Chemical graffiti removers penetrate porous stone and leave shadow stains (ghost images) that reappear after cleaning. Laser cleaning vaporizes the paint at the surface without driving any material into the stone pores. On most substrates, there is no ghost image. On heavily porous stone with deep paint penetration, multiple passes reduce the ghost to near-invisible levels.