Stone Cleaning: Comparing Perceptions with Physical and Financial Implications

AbstractStone cleaning, with its attendant costs, has implications for the future repair and maintenance of building facades. Justification for stone cleaning has in the past been based on the perception that a cleaned property increases in market value, and that widespread city centre cleaning enhances its attractiveness as a location for investment. Recent research has determined circumstances in which stone cleaning may contribute to long-term acceleration of stone decay, with associated cost implications. If the integrity of the built heritage and the aesthetics of townscapes are to be maintained, there is a need to balance the perceived benefits with the consequences in terms of maintenance cycles and the retention of visual unity of design.