To some, it is the stone that built the country. And it is easy to understand why. Wherever you look, through the towns and cities of Scotland, sandstone buildings are incredibly common.

Because it is a relatively soft stone, it has always been popular as a building material (until modern building techniques came into play) which is why from Glasgow to Edinburgh, Stirling to Perth and much further across Scotland and the North of England, historically beautiful buildings and homes are made from Blonde and Red sandstone. Its ability to withstand the harsh environment of Scottish winters (and some summers) combined with its natural strength, durability and slip resistant properties made it a popular choice for architects and builders through Victorian times.

But while sandstone may have its advantages as a building stone, it also has disadvantages. The water absorption of sandstone is very high which can make it soft and more easily weather.

This water absorption also means it is more prone to staining. This staining can come in the form of bio matter mould, carbon sulphates, salt staining, limescale build up and more. It means that these once beautiful buildings made from sandstone can from time to time require cleaning.

Sandstone Cleaning is a delicate business and should always be performed not just by a professional – but by a professional with the right tools.

We are Balmore Contracting and we are a leading specialist stone cleaning company. Based in Glasgow and covering all of Scotland and the North of England, we are equipped with a team of professional building stonework cleaning experts and the right tools for the job.

We have both DOFF Steam Cleaning and TORC Stonework Cleaning System to carefully remove staining to stonework without damaging the original material.

TORC Stonework Cleaning is an advanced cleaning method that is the preferred choice of various heritage organisations across Scotland and England. It can gently remove carbon sulphates, brittle paints, limescale, moss and other bio matter from stonework WITHOUT damaging the building surface.

DOFF Steam Cleaning uses super heated steam to remove paint and bio matter like moss and algae from stonework. It uses no chemicals yet is brilliantly gentle to the stonework because the pressure of the steam coming out of the novel is so gentle.

Our DOFF Steam System can also be used as a Softwash system for stonework cleaning.

With these two advanced sandstone stonework cleaning tools, we can offer a class leading service to customers who want their building sandstone cleaned and returned to its former glory.

If you would like more information on our stonework cleaning systems and services, please contact our Glasgow head office on 0141 370 4038