Laser surface
cleaning
We remove old paint, rust, soot, graffiti and biological growth from brick, wood, sandstone, stone and steel. No abrasives, no water, no chemicals and no damage to the substrate underneath.
Let’s talk about your project
What is laser cleaning?
How does it actually work?
The laser pulse hits the layer of dirt and vaporises it before the heat has time to travel into the material. Dirt absorbs energy differently from the clean brick, wood or steel underneath, and that is the whole secret of the method. By setting the power and pulse frequency, we tune the process so that it removes the dirt and spares the original surface. That is why we start with a test on a small area.
Nothing touches the material. There is no abrasive wearing away the face and no water soaking into the pores. There is also no waste to remove from the site, apart from the dust caught by the extractor.
In practice this means we can clean things that must not be sandblasted: carved woodwork, profiled mouldings, mortar joints between bricks, sculpted ornaments and historic surfaces under conservation supervision.
Where laser cleaning is used
So what do clients usually come to us with?
Eight pairs of doors in a tenement building under six layers of paint, which a joiner said were only fit for replacement. A brick facade dirty from years of weathering, where the conservator would not allow sandblasting. A corroded steel structure where chemicals either don’t work or eat into the substrate along with the rust.
Every time, the problem is the same: something has to come off the surface without touching what is underneath.
Laser removal of rust and paint
Removing rust and paint from metal
Corrosion, oxides, weld discolouration and old paint come off steel, cast iron and aluminium without abrasives. For injection moulds and machine parts this really matters: we don’t change the dimensions or the roughness of the working surface, so the part goes back into production exactly as it was before it got dirty.
Laser also works well for surface preparation before painting or welding, because it leaves clean metal with no degreaser residue.
For large surfaces covered in powder coating, we’ll tell you straight that sandblasting will be faster and cheaper.
Laser cleaning of wood
Doors, windows, roof trusses, ceiling beams, stairs, wood panelling and carved details. Sanding takes a layer of original material off such a piece and rounds the edges of the profiles, so the detail loses its crisp lines. On 19th-century pieces that loss can never be made good.
The laser removes the coating layer by layer and can stop at any point, for example at an old original layer if the conservator wants to keep it. The grain and texture of the wood stay untouched, and paint also comes out of the recesses of profiles, where sandpaper can’t reach anyway.
Brick and facade cleaning
Soot, weathering deposits, moss and lichen, graffiti, leftover plaster and old paint. Brick is a porous material, and that is exactly why two popular methods do it more harm than good.
Sandblasting wears away the hard, fired outer layer of the brick. What is left underneath is soft, open material that from then on absorbs water much faster and deteriorates faster. Chemicals get into the pores, need rinsing and after a few months can come back as white salt efflorescence.
The laser works without contact and puts neither water nor chemicals into the wall. It removes only the dirt, leaving the brick face and joints exactly as they were.
Sandstone restoration
Sandstone, limestone, architectural details, portals, cornices, sculptures and gravestones. In cities, a black gypsum crust forms on stone over time. It is harder than the stone itself, bonds with its structure and draws pollutants deeper in.
Mechanical methods remove it together with a layer of stone, which on sculpted details means the modelling is lost for good. Wet methods put water into the porous stone, and in winter that water breaks it apart from the inside.
The laser removes the crust gradually and lets us control how much comes off. On ornaments and sculpture, no other method gives this level of precision.
Laser, sandblasting, soda blasting or chemicals
Each of these methods has its place. Below are the differences that decide the choice in practice.
| Method | Effect on the surface | What is left after the work | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laser | Contact-free, does not abrade the material, removes the coating layer by layer | Fine dust collected by an extractor. No water and no abrasive | Heritage buildings, details, brick, wood, stone and metal, work without dismantling and indoors |
| Sandblasting | Abrades the top layer, opens the pores of brick and stone, rounds off details | Abrasive and dust to collect and remove, with wet blasting also water | Large, simple and hard surfaces, when speed matters more than the substrate |
| Soda blasting | Gentler than sand, but still works mechanically | Used soda to collect and wash off, salt residue in pores can cause efflorescence | Simple parts that can be removed and will be washed anyway |
| Pressure washing | On old, soft brick it can tear off the face and wash out the joints | Water in the wall, stains, risk of efflorescence | Hard, new brick with light, fresh dirt |
| Chemicals | Penetrates porous material | Needs neutralising and rinsing | Paint coatings, if the conservator allows the method |
| Dry ice | Works by impact, limited on brittle surfaces | Removed dirt. Indoors ventilation is needed (carbon dioxide) | Grease, oils, soot and deposits in industry |
Not sure which method suits your surface? A sample test is the most reliable way to decide. We work in Poland and across the European Union.
Sandblasting
Fast and cheap on large surfaces. It wears away the top layer of the material, opens the pores of brick and stone and rounds off details. It leaves tonnes of abrasive to clean up.
Soda blasting
Gentler than sand, but soda is hygroscopic and stays in joints and pores. On masonry it can later cause efflorescence and staining.
Chemicals
Effective on paint, but it soaks into the material and needs neutralising and rinsing. On historic buildings the conservator often rules it out.
Laser
Contact-free, controllable layer by layer, no water and no waste. Slower and more expensive per square metre. It makes sense where the material underneath matters more than speed.
How a job works, step by step
This is how every job works, step by step. You send us a photo and we assess whether laser cleaning makes sense. Then we do a sample test, give you the rate and the date, and finally we arrive with all the equipment and clean. Smaller parts can also be brought to us.
Subcontracting for restoration companies
A large share of our work is done as a subcontractor for restoration, conservation and construction companies. You run the contract and deal with the client, we come on site and do the laser part.
What this means for you in practice:
– you get access to laser technology without investing in equipment
– you can take on jobs where the conservator rules out sandblasting and chemicals
– we come with our own equipment, certifications and health and safety, including on sites under conservation supervision
– we work to your schedule and invoice you
– we give you the hourly rate up front, so you can price the job before you submit your bid
The rate for the laser system with an operator is from PLN 250 net per hour (CW laser) and from PLN 380 net per hour (pulsed laser). On longer projects the rate is lower and agreed case by case.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, it is a large part of our work. A restoration, conservation or construction company runs the contract, and we come to the site and carry out the laser cleaning scope. We bring our own equipment, qualifications and health and safety documentation, work to the contractor’s schedule and invoice for our work. We give the hourly rate up front, so the cost estimate can be calculated before the bid is submitted.
On large areas of steel covered with powder coating. It comes off very slowly, and on that scale sandblasting is faster and cheaper. If there is no reason to protect the substrate, for example heritage protection, we will tell you so directly. The laser makes sense where the material underneath matters more than the speed of work. If that is not your case, your money is better spent on another method.
Yes, this is one of our main areas of work. The method is used on heritage buildings because, with well-chosen parameters, it does not damage the original material and lets us control the depth of cleaning. The conservator decides on the scope and the method. We hold a laser safety officer certificate and work under the conditions agreed with the conservation supervisor. Before starting, we always do trials on a small area, which the conservator assesses.
A 230 or 400 V power supply, access to the work area and sanitary facilities. For multi-day jobs outside our region, also accommodation for the team. If there is no power on site, we can work from a generator. This costs extra but does not stop the job.
Much less than with other methods. We do not use abrasives, so there are no tonnes of sand or soda to remove from the site. We do not use water, so there are no stains or moisture in the wall. The fine dust from the removed coating is collected with an extractor. This means we can work inside buildings, including rooms with original furnishings.
Yes, and this is one of the main advantages of the method. No dipping, no chemical baths, no blasting booth. We clean windows and doors in their openings, roof trusses in place, balustrades fixed to stairs and facades without removing anything. For heritage buildings this matters even more, because every removal and refitting risks damaging the original joints.
For work at height, yes, but it does not always have to be scaffolding. We are qualified to work at height and a lift is often enough. If scaffolding is already up for other work, we use it. If it has to be put up just for the cleaning, it is usually provided by the client or the main contractor. We agree this before work starts, so there are no surprises in the cost estimate.
Yes. We work all over Poland, most often in Greater Poland and Kuyavia, around Poznań, Inowrocław, Bydgoszcz and Toruń. For larger projects we also travel abroad, including Germany, Italy and Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway, Finland). Smaller parts that can be dismantled are often easier to bring to us. Then there is no travel cost.
No, as long as the parameters are set correctly, and that is exactly why we do a test before starting. The method is contact-free. Nothing abrades the surface, there is no abrasive and no mechanical tool. The dirt absorbs the beam energy differently from the material underneath, so the process can be set to stop at the boundary of the original layer. In conservation work this lets us remove a coating gradually and stop at any moment.
Send a photo,
we’ll reply with an assessment
today
Tell us what you need cleaned and attach a photo of the surface. We’ll tell you whether laser makes sense and what we suggest next. We reply the same or the next working day.
