Pollution, soot from traffic, damp and graffiti darken facades year after year. Cleaning them restores the look of the building, reveals its real condition and extends the life of the materials.
Most facade cleaning is done with pressure washing, sandblasting or chemicals. We specialise in laser cleaning, which achieves the same result without the drawbacks.
The problem with traditional methods
- Pressure washing: water gets into hairline cracks and can cause damp and leaks in the flats.
- Sandblasting: wears away the surface layer of stone and brick, which become more porous and get dirty again sooner.
- Chemicals: can stain the material permanently and damage glass, railings and the pavement.
The laser works dry, does not erode and uses no chemicals.
Facades we clean
Natural stone
Historic buildings in the Eixample, Ciutat Vella and old town centres: we remove the black crust without eroding the stone. More about stone.
Exposed brick
We remove stains, salt efflorescence and blackening without altering the colour of the brick or damaging the joints.
Concrete and single-coat render
We remove mould, ingrained dirt and graffiti evenly, without leaving marks or shadows.
For owners’ associations, businesses and shops
A clean facade improves the look of the neighbourhood, adds value to the homes and makes it possible to spot cracks or loose material early, which helps ahead of the building inspection (ITE). We work with property managers (administradores de fincas), owners’ associations (comunidades de propietarios), businesses and shops, coordinating the work so that life in the building carries on as normal.
If there is also graffiti, we remove it in the same visit: find out more in graffiti removal. And if the facade needs more than cleaning, see our facade refurbishment.
How we do it
Visit and trial
We inspect the facade and carry out a free trial on an inconspicuous area.
Organisation
We plan the means of access and cordon off the work area.
Laser cleaning
We clean section by section, extracting the particles right at the point of work.
Inspection
We check the result and let you know whether any protective treatment is advisable.
From Viladecavalls (Barcelona) we work across Spain and on international projects.
Have a similar project?
We visit you, assess the building and give you a detailed, no-obligation quote.
Facade cleaning FAQs
Why not clean the facade with a pressure washer?
Because pressurised water can get into cracks and cause damp inside the flats, and, like sandblasting, it wears the surface: stone and brick become more porous and get dirty again sooner. The laser works dry and does not erode.
How often should a facade be cleaned?
It depends on the material, the orientation and the pollution in the street. In urban areas with traffic, facades turn black within a few years. It is best to clean them when the dirt starts to show, without waiting for crusts to form.
Does cleaning remove mould and green algae?
Yes, it removes biological growth from the surface. But if the green algae appears because of persistent damp, that damp also needs to be dealt with or it will come back.
