Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
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NYC historic monument receives restorative cleaning from Kärcher
Kärcher participated last week in the cleaning and restoration of the 75 feet tall Dover Patrol Monument in John Paul Jones Park in Brooklyn, New York City.
Installed in 1931, the monument is constructed from grey Westerly Granite which over the course of time, had become soiled with biological growth such as bacteria, algae, fungi and lichen, as well as a dark grey layer of atmospheric residue, including dust, soot, and emissions. It also produces hard calcium crusts, which leach out of the mortar.
For the gentle removal of the dark grey layer of atmospheric residue and hard calcium crusts, Kärcher's Nick Heyden and Derek Knight used a low-pressure, micro-particle cleaning with aluminum silicate abrasives; they tackled the biological growth using a steam cleaning machine and 310-degree steam. The painstaking process required skill and perseverance - the monument had to be cleaned inch by inch!
The masonry joints are now being repointed with a custom tinted mortar to match the newly cleaned surface. This will stabilise the granite blocks and prevent water from seeping through the joints which leads to bio-growth and staining.
Kärcher has also donated an HDS 5.0/30-4S pressure washer and a micro particle cleaning system for use by Parks' Citywide Monuments Conservation Program for future cleaning and restoration projects.
The project is timed to be completed shortly before the centennial of the World War I armistice on November 11th, since the monument was erected as a tribute to the comradeship and service of the American Naval Forces in Europe during the World War, specifically the Dover Patrol from 1914-1919, and is inscribed, "... they died that we might live; may we be worthy of their sacrifice." The obelisk structure was built by architect Sir Aston Webb P.R.A. & Son.
This latest exercise is one of a long line of more than 150 cleaning projects worldwide, completed free of charge as part of Kärcher's cultural sponsorship program, through which the company plays an active role in preserving and cleaning historical monuments and buildings, including the iconic Mount Rushmore, Seattle Space Needle and the London Eye.
"We are honored to be working with Kärcher on this important restoration of one of Brooklyn's most treasured monuments," said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, FAICP, at the time. "Along with a generous donation of equipment, this project provides crucial support for our invaluable Citywide Monuments Conservation program."
Nick Heyden of Kärcher Cultural Sponsoring Restorative Cleaning added: "Kärcher is committed to preserving the beauty and integrity of this historic structure for the community and for future generations."
20th September 2018