Laser Cleaning 130-Year-Old Masonry Brick

Brick arrives stained under soot and later coatings. After the pass those films are gone and the fired face is still intact, not spalled or ground back.

Mortar joints arrive painted and weathered at the pointing. After the pass the laser leaves the pointing joint full, not raked out hollow.

Limestone facades sit gray under a hard crust before the beam. After the pass that crust is gone and the stone is not soaked or ground back.

Alabaster arrives chalky under soot and handling soil. After the pass that soil is gone and the soft hydrate is still intact, not grooved or sugared.

Aluminum starts dull under oxide that takes the first energy. After a stopped pass, that film is gone and the metal is not pitted.

Basalt monuments look sooty and dull at the start. Once the operator stops, the black rock is clean, not shiny-melted or split down a seam.

Bluestone patios look grimy and dull at the start. A stopped pass leaves the flag clean, not split or scaled along a garden walkway.

Calcite heritage work looks dingy and scaled at the start. A stopped pass leaves the mineral bright, not sugared or burnt beside the masonry.

Cement walls look stained and dusty at the start. A stopped pass leaves the gray matrix, not a scorched or powdered crust beside the joint.

Concrete slabs arrive marked with coatings, tire rubber, and graffiti. After the pass those marks are gone and the face is not hammered or etched.

Granite arrives dull under biological film and urban soil. After the pass those films are gone and the polish is still there, not cracked or hammered.

Iron arrives under rust and mill scale that hide the face. After the pass those films are gone and the metal is bare, not abrasive-blasted or pitted.

Marble arrives under gypsum crust, soot, and paint. After the pass those films are gone and the polish is still there, not sugared or yellowed.

Plaster interiors arrive under soot and paint on a soft face. After the pass the laser leaves that finish sound, not crumbled away.

Porcelain ware looks stained and filmed before anyone fires. Afterward the operator has a still-shiny skin without craze lines or frost.

Quartzite panels look crusted and dirty before work starts. Afterward the operator has a still-bright silicate face without etch or frost.

Sandstone walls look crusted and dirty before work starts. Afterward the operator has the same masonry mass, without the dirt taking stone with it.

Serpentine panels arrive soiled on a soft greenstone face. After the pass the laser leaves the stone intact, not ground or dulled.

Slate roofing looks stained and sooty before work starts. Afterward the operator has cleaved sheets that still hold together, without flake-off.

Carbon steel looks scabby with outdoor rust before work starts. Afterward the operator has bare iron that is still sound, without a pit track.

Stoneware pieces look filmed and crusted before work starts. Afterward the operator has a still-sound fired skin without a crack or pit.

Stucco walls arrive under soot and paint film. After the pass the laser leaves the cementitious face sound, not blasted open or pitted.

Terracotta arrives under soot and crust on the fired clay. After the pass the laser leaves the ceramic body intact, not pitted on the face.

Travertine arrives under crust on void-banded calcite. After the pass the laser leaves those voids intact, not blown out or etched.

Heritage architectural work looked stained and tagged on the elevation. Once the head finished, the stone showed through and the old character remained.

Historic masonry looked stained and grimy on the street wall. Once the head finished, the old fabric showed through and stayed itself.

Paint and coating sit on steel and aluminum as a thick film. After the pass that film is off and the metal is ready to inspect or recoat.