Soft brick and lime mortar
Whitewash, soot, paint, and biological growth removed without opening the brick face or scouring joints.
Dry ice blasting for historic preservation
Historic substrates fail under abrasive media. Soft brick loses its fire skin, lime mortar washes out, and old-growth timber loses surface detail. Dry ice cleans through thermal shock and low-mass kinetic impact rather than abrasion — the closest practical fit to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards' call for the gentlest effective method.
Talk through your facilityWater introduced
None
Substrate loss
Minimal, panel-verified
Review documentation
Provided as standard
Why it matters
The failure mode on historic work is irreversible. Test panels, documented pressures, and a written method statement are how a project gets approved and how the substrate survives it.
Where it gets used
Heart pine and heavy timber
Surface soot and coatings removed while keeping tool marks, patina, and grain detail intact.
Post-fire historic interiors
Char and smoke residue removed from structure that would otherwise be demolished for odor reasons.
Cast iron, stone, and architectural metal
Coating and corrosion product removal without profile change to detailed elements.
Adaptive reuse and mill conversions
Large-volume interior cleaning of exposed structure prior to a new fit-out.
How we run the work
- Documented test panels at defined pressures before full-scale work
- Written method statement suitable for historic review board submission
- Aligned with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
- No water introduced into masonry or lime mortar assemblies
Carolina context
Charleston's Board of Architectural Review district, Wilmington's historic downtown, Old Salem, Durham's tobacco warehouses, and Asheville's downtown masonry represent some of the most tightly reviewed building stock in the Southeast. Every one of them sits in a humid climate where water-based cleaning carries its own consequences.
Questions we get
Will a review board accept dry ice blasting?
Boards generally evaluate the method and evidence, not the label. We supply test panels and written pressure settings so the reviewer can see the actual result on your substrate.
Does it remove lead paint?
It can remove coatings, but lead work must run under an RRP or abatement-compliant containment and waste plan. We scope it that way or we do not do it.
Is it gentler than soda blasting?
Soda leaves alkaline residue that must be rinsed and can affect later finishes. Dry ice leaves nothing and adds no water.