Laser cleaning of timber

Modern timber and historic timber

Modern timber in sound condition offers a wider margin than historic timber, where surface tooling, original finishes, weathering and age-related fragility all matter. Historic timber is treated as conservation work and is assessed with the same restraint applied to historic metalwork.

Possible applications

• Selected paint removal
• Selected varnish and finish removal
• Soot and fire residues
• Smoke staining
• Surface contamination and deposits

Recognised risks

Timber can respond unpredictably. The following outcomes are possible and are specifically assessed during testing rather than discovered during production work.

• Scorching and localised darkening
• Colour change
• Raised or opened grain
• Resin response in resinous species
• Uneven absorption between earlywood and latewood
• Differential response across repairs and knots