Case Study 2 – Specialist Cleaning of Southsea Castle

Project

Battered by the elements since it was built in 1544 as a fortress set to defend the nation, popular tourist attraction, Southsea Castle received some TLC courtesy of 1^st Choice High Level Cleaning & Maintenance.

 The project was part of a programme to maintain and preserve the landmark and to boost its appeal.

  Requirements

Although the Tudor fortress had stood the test of time it was essential that the chosen method of accessing the structure and the method of cleaning did not damage the substrate.

It was the first time in its history that ingrained staining to Southsea Castle had been removed and the technique of cleaning needed to be sympathetic to the sections of Tudor and Victorian masonry.  Exceptional care had to be taken to provide a suitable level of cleaning, which eliminated hundreds of years of dirt without damaging the stonework.

Outcome

1^st Choice High Level Cleaning & Maintenance carried out a site survey and had to assess the correct methods and temperatures for the substrates – the Purbeck and Portland stone of the original Tudor sections and Victorian redevelopment.

A low pressure steam cleaning operation was employed which did not damage masonry surfaces but did deal efficiently with dirt and lichen growth.

Access was restricted in all areas and a combination of rope access, aerial platform and portable scaffolding was used which ensured minimal disruption to the tourist attraction and condensed the visual impact of the cleaning operation.

The project was carried out safely and to a high standard of finish.