Stone window surrounds

[emilybronte]

Anyone had experience of cleaning/renovating these?

I have used a Karchi water-blaster on (horizontal) sandstone paving with excellent results - any reason why I couldn't use it on stone window sills/lintels/surrounds? (On cottage mainly built from random limestone/slate).

If not, what's the best way to get them looking smart (apart from sandblasting, or painting them)? They have just got a bit dirty and tired-looking over time.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Hi Emilybronti. I cant advise on blasting them with the karcher but I live in a barratts bungalow and a few years ago one of my neighbours painted the surrounds of his windows pale blue, the bottom sill, top lintel and the two sides. It actually looked quite nice, mediterranean looking. I looked at mine and realised how discoloured they`ve become over 30 years so I painted the top and sides with White masonary paint and the bottom sills Black also a masonary paint and I think they look great. Because the front and back doors are white upvc with the Black rubber sealing strips around the glass and the windows are the same, the sills and lintels blend together great, in fact quite a few neighbours have now done theirs. One has done his in a sand colour just like the original and they also look great, probably a better finish than blasting. What I can say is only use masonary paint, it hasn`t peeled anywhere but a neighbour used an ordinary paint and it peel off the sills shortly afterwords.
Hope this might give you an idea. Good luck.
Steve Fletcher.

 

[emilybronte]

Thanks for that, but it is not my property and the owners don't want them painted, just cleaned.

 

[oldgreymouse]

Hi emilybronti. I am guessing by your post that the window surrounds are stone mullion and have many years of lichen growing on it. You can pressure wash stone surrounds with no problem, the only thing is that you can blast flaky or poor paint off the window frames. Also the water can blast through any cracks and will get to the inside. You will need plenty of old towels on the inside window ledge to catch water.
I did this type of work on a Grade 1 listed building many years ago, and I found that as most of the lichen was on the lower part of the surround and in particular the sills, I sprayed downwards from standing on a ladder and being above the work. It was also easier to aim from above. It did take some paint off but as I was re-painting the inner frames it did not matter to me.
( I also spent many happy hours with yogurt, cow dung and all manner of concoctions trying to get new stone to look old!!)

One word of caution!! Use the jet with a wide fan shape first to try it, if you use a point, or spinner jet, it may over clean the stone and when all the work has dried out you may effect the overall look of the building, you may find the client wants you to clean the rest of the building to match in with the cleaned bit!!!