Skip to content
Surface Reveal
Soot-darkened granite building elevation with a cleaner test area of stonework

Precision Surface Restoration

Remove the unwanted.
Reveal the original.

Assessment-led cleaning of granite, stone and masonry buildings, graffiti removal and controlled coating removal, for commercial, heritage and private homeowners alike. The method is selected for the substrate, established by testing, and recorded.

In plain English: we use a focused beam of light to lift soiling, graffiti, paint and rust off a surface, without grit blasting or chemicals.

Aberdeen • Scotland • UK specialist projects

Request a Site SurveySee PricesExplore Applications

Stone & Masonry • Graffiti Removal • Commercial & Domestic

Scotland Based500W Pulsed Laser TechnologyHeritage-Conscious CleaningBS EN 16782:2016 ReferencedRAMS Available

Surface restoration with control.

Every surface behaves differently. The purpose of the work is to remove what should not be there while limiting change to the material underneath, and that requires assessment before cleaning begins.

  1. 01Survey
  2. 02Identify
  3. 03Test
  4. 04Control
  5. 05Verify

Historic & Listed Buildings

Precision matters even more when the surface cannot simply be replaced.

Our pulsed laser systems allow highly controlled removal of coatings, corrosion and contamination from sensitive and historic materials.

Surface Reveal is Scotland based and works within the principles of the Scottish historic-environment consent system, with test areas and project-specific methodologies available for conservation-led work.

Explore Heritage Cleaning →
Carved Scottish sandstone building elevation with soot-darkened weathering

Explore

Choose a subject

Everything about the work, one topic at a time. Pick a tab to see what it covers.

Black spray-paint graffiti tag on a rough granite wallTypical contaminants

Unwanted layers,
not the substrate.

In plain English: we lift off what should not be there, and leave the material underneath alone.

  • Selected graffiti and tags
  • Soiling and surface deposits
  • Mould, algae, lichen and moss
  • Carbon and soot
  • Paint and primers
  • Selected masonry coatings
  • Corrosion and rust on steel
  • Oxides and scale
  • Industrial coatings
  • Process contamination and residues

Not every contaminant on every material can be removed by laser cleaning. Where it is not the appropriate method, we will say so.

Explore applications

How it works

Light does the work

No water, no chemicals, no grit or blast media. A short pulse of focused light is absorbed by the layer on top, which lifts away, while the material underneath reflects far more of it and is left intact when the settings are correct.

  1. 01

    A pulse of light

    The system sends very short bursts of focused light on to the surface. Each pulse is over in a fraction of a second, so heat has little chance to build up.

  2. 02

    The layer absorbs it

    Rust, soot, paint and soiling absorb that light readily. The energy breaks the bond between that layer and the material beneath it.

  3. 03

    The unwanted layer lifts

    The contamination is released from the surface as fine particles and vapour, pass by pass, until the required standard is reached.

  4. 04

    It is drawn away

    Extraction and filtration at the work area capture the removed material so it is collected rather than left on site.

How Laser Cleaning Works

A clean process

Nothing added to the surface.

Laser cleaning needs no water, no chemicals, no solvents and no sand or grit. Nothing is sprayed on to the building or the component, so there is no run-off across pavements and planting, no slurry to contain and no spent blast media to sweep up and take away.

The only material removed is the layer that should not be there. That residue is drawn away by extraction and filtration at the work area and disposed of appropriately, which keeps the working area tidy and makes the process well suited to occupied buildings, town centres and sites where washing down is not practical.

  • No water or washing down
  • No chemicals or solvents
  • No sand, grit or blast media
  • No slurry or run-off to contain
  • Dry working, so no drying time
  • Extraction and filtration at the work area
  • Suited to occupied and public locations
  • Selective: removes the layer, not the material

Every process produces some waste, and laser cleaning is no exception: the removed coating or contamination has to be captured and disposed of correctly. Where a coating may contain lead or other hazardous materials, testing and enhanced controls apply.

Before and after

What controlled cleaning looks like

Before and after comparisons of controlled cleaning on stone.

The same granite wall covered in black spray-painted graffiti.
Granite building wall with the graffiti removed and the natural stone visible.
BeforeAfter

Drag the handle to compare. Results depend on paint chemistry, stone porosity and test results.

The same sandstone wall with soot removed and the natural stone colour visible.
Sandstone wall heavily blackened by soot and smoke staining after a fire.
BeforeAfter

Fire residues vary; the achievable level of cleaning is established by a test area.

View Projects

Fire and smoke damage

Soot removal after a fire

Fire leaves soot, smoke staining and charring bonded into stone, brick, concrete, plaster and structural steel. Laser cleaning removes those deposits dry, without water, chemicals or grit, which suits interiors where run-off and slurry would cause further damage.

  • Soot and smoke staining on granite, sandstone, brick and concrete
  • Fire-damaged stone façades, closes, stairwells and vaulted ceilings
  • Smoke-blackened historic joinery and architectural detailing, subject to testing
  • Carbon deposits on structural steel and ironwork before inspection or recoating
  • Charred residues on masonry ahead of repair or repointing
  • Dry working with extraction, so no water or slurry is introduced into the building

Work usually follows an insurer's or loss adjuster's programme. We survey the affected areas, complete a representative test area on each material, agree the level of cleaning, then work progressively with extraction at the work area. Soot is captured and disposed of correctly rather than washed into the building.

Charring, spalling and heat damage to the material itself cannot be reversed by cleaning. Where stone or steel has been altered by heat, the test area shows what can realistically be recovered before any wider work is agreed.

Request a Site Survey

Biological growth

Mould, algae, lichen and moss

Green growth, mould staining, lichen and moss hold moisture against a wall and disfigure stone, brick, concrete and render. Laser cleaning lifts the growth and the staining it leaves behind, dry, without pressure washing, biocides or water being driven into the masonry.

  • Mould and mildew staining on stone, brick, concrete and render
  • Algae and green growth on shaded elevations, plinths and boundary walls
  • Lichen and moss deposits on monuments, headstones and copings
  • Biological soiling on garden walls, steps and paving
  • Organic staining on internal masonry after water ingress or a leak
  • Dry working, with no pressure washing and no water driven into the wall

Growth is assessed alongside the surface it sits on. Soft or friable stone, lime render and previously treated masonry all behave differently, so a representative test area establishes the cleaning level before any wider work is agreed.

Cleaning removes the growth, not the reason it is there. Where damp, poor drainage, defective rainwater goods or shading are the underlying cause, growth will return unless that cause is addressed. Some situations are better suited to a biocide treatment or another method, and we will say so.

Request a Site Survey

Steel & metalwork

Rust and corrosion removal

Corrosion products can be removed from steel, cast iron and fabricated components with the parameters selected for the metal and the finish required afterwards. Nothing is blasted at the surface and no chemicals are used.

  • Surface rust and corrosion on steel plate, sections and fabrications
  • Mill scale and heat scale on selected components
  • Gates, railings, balustrades and architectural metalwork
  • Plant, machinery and maintenance parts, once isolated
  • Structural steel and ironwork prepared for inspection or recoating
  • Historic ironwork where a conservation approach is required

Work can be carried out at our workshop or on site. A representative test area establishes the cleaning response, the number of passes and the realistic rate of work before a price is confirmed.

Cleaning removes corrosion products from the surface. It does not replace metal already lost, so pitting, section loss and perforation remain visible afterwards, and the component may need repair or replacement. That exposed condition is often the point of the work rather than a cosmetic finish.

Laser Rust Removal

Commercial & Domestic

Built for projects of any size

From a single domestic elevation or garden wall to a multi-storey commercial building, the same assessment and documentation apply. The following are available for commercial and public sector projects, and in proportion for domestic work.

  • Site surveys
  • Budget estimates
  • Fixed quotations
  • Project-specific RAMS
  • COSHH assessments
  • Method statements
  • Test patch records
  • Before and after documentation
  • Daily inspection records
  • Completion reports
  • Subcontractor information
  • Insurance information

Only certifications and accreditations actually held are displayed on this website. Where a scheme membership is required for a tender, we will confirm current status directly.

Heritage & Conservation

Cleaning historic material requires restraint.

Historic surfaces are not automatically returned to an as-new appearance. Significance, patina, historic coatings and previous interventions all influence how far cleaning should go.

Trials on representative areas establish feasibility, and results are reviewed with the conservation team before wider work is agreed.

Heritage & Conservation
Historic cast iron railings with layered flaking paint in front of a granite building

Considered before any trial

  • Historic significance
  • Patina and surface evidence
  • Historic coatings
  • Tool marks and original finishes
  • Previous restoration
  • Consents and oversight

Applications

Where the work is applied

Each application has its own assessment criteria, controls and limitations.

Stone & Masonry Assessment

Specialist assessment of whether laser cleaning is an appropriate method for a given masonry surface.

Graffiti Removal

Assessment-led removal of graffiti and residues on sensitive, historic or previously treated substrates.

Heritage Surface Cleaning

Restrained cleaning of historic material where significance, patina and previous interventions inform the approach.

Laser Paint Removal

Selective removal of paint systems, primers and industrial coatings where coating composition and substrate allow.

Timber Cleaning

A cautious, test-led approach to soot, staining and selected coatings on modern and historic timber.

Surface Preparation

Controlled cleaning ahead of inspection, coating, bonding, repair or further processing.

Laser Rust Removal

Controlled removal of corrosion products from steel, cast iron and fabricated components where laser cleaning is technically suitable.

Industrial Laser Cleaning

Repeatable, documented surface cleaning for engineering, manufacturing, fabrication and industrial maintenance programmes.

Metal Cleaning

Alloy-specific cleaning of carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, cast iron, bronze and brass.

Machinery Cleaning

Cleaning of machine frames, tooling, components and industrial assemblies with defined controls around sensitive areas.

Weld Cleaning

Removal of oxidation and heat tint from welded fabrications, with defined finish objectives.

Plain English

The terms explained, without the jargon

If any of the wording on this site is unfamiliar, here is what it actually means.

Substrate
The material underneath — the steel, stone or timber we want to keep.
Coating
Anything applied on top, such as paint, primer or powder coating.
Contamination
Unwanted build-up like rust, soot, carbon, oil or general soiling.
Pulsed laser
Light delivered in very short bursts, so heat does not build up in the material.
Test patch
A small trial area cleaned first, to prove the approach before the full job.
Parameters
The settings used on the laser, chosen to suit the surface and the layer removed.
Site survey
A visit to look at the surface, the access and the conditions before quoting.
RAMS
Risk assessment and method statement — the written plan for doing the work safely.
Patina
The aged surface on older metal or stone that is often worth keeping, not removing.

Have a surface restoration project to assess?

Send photographs, dimensions and a description of the surface. We will tell you whether it is a realistic candidate, and what testing would be required.

Send Project Details