Dry Ice Blasting Preserves Historical Buildings and Landmarks

The United States may not have the same architectural wonders as other parts of the world, but there are plenty of buildings, monuments, and cultural landmarks across the country that carry with them both nostalgia and remembrance. 

From the cable cars of San Francisco to the Statue of Liberty in New York City, these aspects of American history and tourist attractions deserve to have a long life in the culture of our cities. But how do they weather the elements, vandalism, natural disasters, and the degradation of time?

Dry ice blasting – frozen pellets of carbon dioxide coupled with compressed air – is an unsuspecting solution to these inevitable consequences, providing the most sustainable and environmentally friendly response to such a question. 

Vandalism, Paint Preparation, Harsh Weather, and Fire Damage

Whether landmarks or buildings undergo severe weather, fire damage, general wear and tear, or vandalism, dry ice blasting can maintain them for years to come. The combatant to graffiti is not always painting layers upon layers to conceal the damage. Dry ice blasting is an excellent paint removal tool, stripping away paint particles. The dry ice expands and evaporates when it touches a surface, and the carbon dioxide lifts the contaminants it comes against. Depending on the severity of the contaminant, at the very least, dry ice blasting prepares surfaces for painting, requiring less coats. 

Harsh weather erodes, discolors, and rusts building materials – all of which dry ice can help to restore. The blasting process removes rust, blows off contaminants, and softens surfaces, and even exterminates odors. In fact, this process is so effective, that it usually leads to minimal cleaning over time, creating lasting strength and efficacy of materials. Without the laborious manual labor of scraping, scrubbing, and chiseling, historical preservation can be accomplished in half the time. 

Dry Ice for Cleaning Delicate Surfaces

When dealing with historical buildings, monuments, and landmarks, there’s a good possibility that the object in need of cleaning is dated. It may be fragile, it may be old, and it may be irreplaceable. Granite, marble, limestone, sandstone, and other stone building materials are subject to erosion, scratching, and staining from the elements. Dry ice blasting is much gentler than sandblasting or even power washing, and more time and cost effective. Millenia old masonry can be preserved, as cleaning with dry ice does not utilize pressure washing with water or toxic chemicals, eliminating the risk of brick absorbing moisture.

Sand or soda blasting scratches delicate surfaces, and produces a lot of secondary waste, multiplying clean-up time and waste removal. Chemicals are damaging to many materials, and more importantly, people and the environment. Dry ice blasting becomes an environmentally friendly solution for two reasons: 

1. It does not use chemicals or water, thus reducing pollutants in local streams and rivers that feed into the ocean.

2. It decreases the amount of waste entering landfills. 

This is a win for sustainable building, as it allows existing buildings to be upcycled rather than scrapped, while also preserving financial resources.

Mold, chipped paint, general wear and tear, and smoke-stained wooden beams carrying unpleasant odors can all have an extended life under the treatment of dry ice blasting as well. The minimal cleanup due to the lack of secondary waste is attractive when operating indoors. Dry ice cleaning machines are even safe for dirty electrical equipment since it is a dry solution. 

The pressure output of the machine can be controlled depending on the delicacy of the surface or material. Softer material such as nickel and aluminum can be treated with a lower intensity to prevent further damage. One of the most important facts to note, is that if dry ice blasting is approved by the FDA for food and beverage facilities, it is safe for just about any other application. 

Dry Ice Blasting in the Rocky Mountain Region

Rocky Mountain Air Solutions is proud to announce that it is launching a dry ice product line this summer and is taking inquiries from those seeking to use this service for industrial cleaning applications of all kinds. Whether your business works in the realm of historical preservation of architecture, coffee roasting, or vehicle restoration, dry ice blasting is a safe, effective, and satisfying cleaning method. 

We look forward to expanding our capabilities of providing flawless dependability to our customers in every industry. For questions and quotes on dry ice orders for dry ice blasting in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, and Wyoming, contact your local branch today.