Facade cleaning in Edinburgh
Edinburgh is a World Heritage city, the Georgian New Town and medieval Old Town built in soft Craigleith sandstone, much of it listed. The air is the cleanest in the index, but the stock is the oldest and most heritage laden, so the method has to be conservation grade. You get a vetted Edinburgh specialist who cleans soft stone properly.
Built for Edinburgh's World Heritage sandstone
Edinburgh sits ninth in the index but tops it for building age and heritage load while scoring lowest for pollution. The New Town and Old Town are soft sandstone, almost entirely within the World Heritage Site and conservation areas, so consents and gentle, conservation grade methods are the rule, not the exception.
What gets cleaned
Cleaned by an Edinburgh specialist who cleans soft World Heritage sandstone to a conservation standard, never with high pressure.
Soft Craigleith and other sandstone cleaned to a conservation standard with gentle, low pressure and heat or vortex systems, never high pressure jetting that scars historic stone.
Algae and staining removed from render, panel and composite cladding with controlled low pressure and the right detergents, not aggressive jetting.
High level glass and curtain walling cleaned on rope access or from a cradle, with water fed systems where they reach.
every contractor on your job is IRATA certified and insured, and checked by us before your enquiry reaches them. You get the RAMS and proof of insurance before anyone goes up.
Where we work in and around Edinburgh
Cleaning Edinburgh's New Town sandstone with care
Edinburgh's New Town is Georgian sandstone on a grand scale, and the Old and New Towns together are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The stone is fine and historic, so the cleaning method has to protect it.
Soot from the city's coal-burning past darkened much of that stone, and the wet, windy climate keeps it weathering. Gentle, water-based cleaning lifts the blackening without abrading the surface.
Almost everything here is listed, so an aggressive clean risks lasting harm and consent issues. Our specialists know historic sandstone and survey before quoting.
Facade cleaning in Edinburgh, answered
How much does facade cleaning cost in Edinburgh?
It depends on height, access, the surface and how soiled it is, so the honest answer comes from a survey or a photo, not a phone estimate. You get a fixed price for a defined scope before you commit, and it is the figure on the invoice.
Do you clean the facades yourselves in Edinburgh?
Yes. Your facade is cleaned by vetted, IRATA certified, insured specialists who cover Edinburgh, rather than a national call centre adding a markup.
How quickly can someone look at the building?
Typically a surveyor is on site within 48 hours, and a photo of the elevation often gets you an accurate figure even sooner.
Can you clean buildings in the Edinburgh World Heritage Site?
Yes. Most of the New Town and Old Town sit within the World Heritage Site and conservation areas, so the work goes to specialists who use conservation grade methods and understand the consents, because the wrong approach damages soft sandstone and breaches listing and conservation conditions.
Why can't Edinburgh sandstone be pressure washed?
Craigleith and the other sandstones are soft and historic. High pressure jetting or abrasive blasting erodes the surface, removes detail and opens the stone to faster soiling and water damage. The right method is gentle, low pressure, heat or vortex cleaning suited to the stone.
Related services and areas
Cleaning a building in Edinburgh?
Send a photo of the elevation and you get a vetted Edinburgh specialist who covers your area. Fixed price on a defined scope, usually within one working day.