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Water
A natural source of water is used straight from the tap,
ideally suited for the cleaning of drive ways, conservatories, car parks,
footpaths, concrete clay and slate roofs, pathways, patios, plant machinery, just about anything.
an excellent natural source in abundance for the
restoration of many kinds of stonework and sculptures and its cheap. Sand (we no longer use sand)
The most traditional media used for blast cleaning is sand and like water one of the cheapest standard
grits suitable for cleaning heavily corroded steel, bronze structures, marine growth and
cement build-up and many other applications.
Copper Slag
An expendable synthetic mineral abrasive
which is widely
favoured for open nozzle blasting applications by virtue of its fast
rates. A wide range
of grades is available to suit most applications. custom grades are
available upon
request to meet your specific application.
Olivine
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A natural mineral abrasive which
contains no free silica,
ideally suited to the cleaning of a brick and masonry. A number of
grades are available to
suit applications ranging from providing architectural finishes to
concrete, to the
restoration of the first stonework and sculptures.
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Omni
A synthetic mineral abrasive which is
ideally suited to
applications where a pale coloured abrasive in aesthetically or
environmentally more
desirable.
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Chilled Iron
A very hard recyclable abrasive which
breaks down on impact to
expose sharp new cutting edges which promote a rapid cleaning
action. It is generally used
in closed circuit, air propelled blasting systems.
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Steel
High carbon steel short and grit are
used in closed systems
which employ impeller wheels to propel the abrasive. Steel grit
abrasives are available in
a range of harnesses to suit all surface treatment applications.
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Garnet
A hard, durable, low-dusting natural
mineral abrasive which is
capable of achieving high coverage rates. Coarser grades may be
recycled a number of
times. Typical applications include blasting of stainless steel and
special alloys. Fine
grades may be used in jet cutting applications.
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Alumina
A very hard synthetic mineral abrasive
which is generally used
in small blast cabinets. It is typically used for cleaning
non-ferrous components or
providing a profile on stainless steels. Also used for letter
engraving on marble,
granite and slate. White alumina is used for decorative etching on
glass.
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Vegetable
Abrasives
Natural organic abrasives such as
crushed olive stone or dried
corn cob have a gentle cleaning action and are a gentle cleaning
action and are suited to
applications where metal removal is not permitted, such as turbine
blades or die and mould
cleaning.
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Glass Bead
A very versatile material with a large
variety of applications
including deburring, deflashing, decarbonising, peening and mould
and die cleaning. |
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email us:
info@hydroroofcleanltd.co.uk
What can it remove?
- EVERYTHING!
Different uhp (ultra high pressure) Techniques
The two main factors that can be varied in blast cleaning are the
type of particle that is "blasted" and the pressure at which this is
done.
Pressure: The pressure can normally be adjusted during the job to
ensure that only the desired layers of material are removed. Using a
overly high pressure is inefficient in that more energy is used than is
necessary and more particles will be used increasing cost and the amount
of waste. A small test area, ideally somewhere discrete, is chosen and
used to find the exact pressure required for the job. If the surface
that is to be cleaned or treated is not uniform, the pressure may need
to be adjusted as the work is carried out. This is a difficult task and
requires a highly skilled and very experienced person.
Particle size and type: grit, sand, water, co2 etc – also have
implications on cleanup.
- Grit and Sand are the most traditional
substrates used for blast cleaning. There are a wide range of different
types however, each with different applications. The cheapest standard
grit is suitable for cleaning heavily corroded steel, marine growth and
cement build-up. It would also be used before a metal media is used to
treat a surface. More expensive grits create a finer etch on the surface
and give a more efficient clean in terms of time and amount of
substrate required. More coarse grits with higher content of stone
particles are used to remove thick layers of grime and oil from stone
surfaces. A coarse grit will also leave an authentic aged effect on
older stone once cleaned. A finer media would give an uncharacteristic
effect to the stone and probably remove any charm and aesthetic value of
old walling. A finer grit would normally be employed for use upon
surfaces with a special finish such as stainless steel or aluminium.
- Calcium Carbonate is normally used at low
pressure to remove grime from delicate surfaces such as fabric or wood.
Interior beams that needed revitalising, for example, could be treated
in this way. Any work that is to be carried out inside will not be a
small operation owing to the clean up costs and so it may be advisable
to carry this out when other decoration work is taking place. Ask the
company about the best order to carry out work as doing things in the
wrong order could lead to repeating tasks and increasing costs. The
effectiveness can be increased at low pressures by using a vortex
pressure system. The most common use is to strip paint from aluminium
surfaces.
- Dry ice is becoming an increasingly popular
choice for blast cleaning owing to the fact that it evaporates and
therefore the cleanup costs are massively reduced. It has distinctly
different properties to sand blasting, however, and therefore is not
directly comparable. Much of the effectiveness of using dry ice is down
to the sudden cooling effect on the surface that can be used to separate
a coat of resin from metal for example. The particles of dry ice expand
as they sublime from solid to gas. This means that any cracks in the
surface will be forced open by this action. Carbon dioxide is
non-conductive and can be used without any risk of interference with
electrical equipment or safety risk to the user.
- Air or water – Non contact cleaning using air
or water is not "blast cleaning" as such, but employs the same principle
to remove debris or waste or to clean surfaces. Small air blowing guns
can be very useful for intricate cleaning jobs such as removing mould
from tiling grout in bathrooms.
- Specialist – There are some more unusual
substances that can be used for particular processes to create effects.
Walnut shells are used for polishing and mould removal and are
particularly effective because of their decarbonising action. Ferro
silicon is a very aggressive choice and can also be used to harden
surfaces or making them non slip as a residue of silicon remains on the
surface.
MARINE ANTIFOUL REMOVAL
H R C ltd specialise in the careful, non-abrasive, low pressure, wet- blast
cleaning of hulls on yachts and boats, constructed of fibreglass, metal
and timber, returning your boat back to its former beauty.
This system is designed to save you hours removing antifoul,
layers of old paint and barnacles from your hull. It will leave you with
a subtle keyed surface ready for repainting. It can also be used for
exposing any osmotic blisters your boat may have ready for restoration.
The advantages of removing the antifouling and repainting are
many. ‘The vessel will cut through the water with less drag, saving up
to 40% fuel costs improving speed and performance.’ As recommended by
Practical Boat Owner (March 2007)
We use a mobile, non chemical, cleaning system which is approved
by boat yards and does not harm marine life.
Our trained operatives, can offer you a light delicate clean,
using our skill and experience we clean back to the gel coat without
damaging it, or back to the bare metal/ wood if required, by varying the
blast pressure; size of nozzle and mineral granules in our system.
The ‘blast’ pressure we use is extremely low (usually 3-5 bar
which is the same or less than a mains tap. The water used is minimal
and is soaked up by the blasting media)
The 'wet' system captures dirt and blasting media preventing it
from being air borne, thus helping it fall to the ground where
Tarpaulins are laid, (keeping dust off the neighbouring boats)The
residue can easily be swept away and disposed of responsibly. This
greatly reduces the mess and health and safety risks to marine life
associated with ‘dry’/sand blasting.
The system is used for work on all boats including pleasure
boats, lifeboats, racing yachts, and historic vessels.
H R C ltd are committed to providing our services with due
regard, to the environment and the health and safety of our personnel
and the public at large.
GRAFFITI REMOVAL
H R C ltd specialise in the careful, non-abrasive, low pressure, wet- blast
removal of graffiti.
We use a mobile, non chemical, cleaning system which uses a mix
of water, and mineral granules to remove paint spray and
graffiti. Graffiti is the unwanted scourge of modern society and often
gives residents an uneasy feeling so is best removed soon as possible.
The longer it is left, the more it eats away at the surface it is on and
hinders the cleaning process.
Prompt action is needed to successfully remove it.
Tarpaulins are laid, where appropriate for our wet blast system
to collect the blast media and old dirt/paint particles which fall to
the ground captured by the mist. These are easily swept up and disposed
of responsibly. On occasions the media can be recycled making this a
more environmentally sound system. The ‘dry’ sandblasting service some
people offer, makes a lot more mess as particles are airborne and can
cause health and safety problems, as well as take days to settle and
clean up afterwards.
Attempts to remove graffiti using harsh chemicals or abrasives
can cause permanent damage to the masonry. we use a gentle
approach, to remove graffiti from all surfaces effectively without
harming the substrates underneath.
TIMBER CLEANING
H R C ltd specialise in the careful, non-abrasive, low pressure, wet- blast
cleaning of old timber and new green oak. We use sand containing no
metal particles so the tannins in green oak are not affected.
We use a mobile, non chemical, cleaning system which uses a mix
of a little water, air and mineral granules to remove paint, old
plaster, grime, smoke and graffiti.
Gently restoring wood to its original warmth and colour.
Our trained operatives can offer a variety of services from light
delicate work, to a tougher grit clean for more demanding surfaces.
Using our skill and experience to clean the wood, we vary the blast
pressure, size of nozzle and mineral granules in our system.
Tarpaulins are laid, where appropriate for our ‘wet’ blast system
to collect the blast media and old dirt/paint particles which fall to
the ground captured by the mist. These are easily swept up and disposed
of responsibly. On occasions the media can be recycled making this a
more environmentally sound system.
The ‘dry’ sandblasting service some people offer, makes a lot
more mess as particles are airborne and can cause health and safety
problems, as well as take days to settle and clean up afterwards.
The system has been used for work on private houses, chapels,
mills, barn conversions, boats, outhouses and many other dwellings It is
approved by Architects, historians, local authorities and heritage
organisations,
We are committed to providing our services with due
regard, to the environment and the health and safety of our personnel
and the public at large.
METAL CLEANING
H R C ltd specialise in low pressure, wet- blast cleaning of metals such as
aluminum, steel, tin, iron and bronze.
For cast iron fireplaces, headboards, garden furniture, iron
railings, gates, statues, skips, vintage vehicles including cars,
busses, boats, trains, tractors, aircraft and parts thereof.
We use a mobile non-chemical, cleaning system, which removes
paint, grime and rust, without blowing holes in it.
Our trained operatives, can offer a variety of services for light
delicate work, to a tougher grit clean gently preparing items ready for
repainting by leaving a slightly keyed etch surface.
We can use a rust inhibitor to give you more time to paint your
items. Using our skill and experience we clean the appropriate substrate
by varying the blast pressure; and grit/media in our system.
Tarpaulins are laid where appropriate, for our ‘wet’ blast
system to collect the blast media and old rust/paint particles which
fall to the ground captured by the mist. These are swept up and
disposed of responsibly.
On occasions the media can be recycled making this a more
environmentally sound system. The ‘dry’ sandblasting service some people
offer, makes a lot more mess as particles are airborne and can cause
health and safety problems, as well as taking days to settle and clean
up afterwards.
MASONARY CLEANING
H R C ltd specialise in the careful, non-abrasive, low pressure, wet- blast
cleaning of buildings constructed of brick, stone, flint, concrete and
timber.
Removing paint, old plaster, grime, old failing damp proofing
and graffiti.
Unlike high pressure systems which can cause untold damage. Our
system will gently clean off the paint and remove only very lose mortar,
ready for repointing. We aim to restore your property back to its former
glory, leaving the substrate in good order.
The system has been used for work on private houses, chapels,
historic monuments, mills, barn conversions outhouses and many other
dwellings .It comes recommended by Architects, historians, local
authorities and heritage organisations.
In some cases we may need to use the latest tried n tested chemicals to help remove paint from soft red bricks we can do this by way of a chemical peel or wrap then we can give it a light blast with water at low pressure and hey presto bricks restored to original look.
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