How Laser Cleaning Can Restore Commercial Buildings
Restore rust, paint, and surface contamination easily.
How Laser Cleaning Can Restore Rust, Paint and Surface Contamination on Commercial Buildings
Commercial buildings are constantly exposed to the elements.
Moisture, freeze-thaw cycles, road salt, pollution, weathering and everyday use can gradually affect exterior surfaces and metal components.
Over time, these conditions can lead to rust, corrosion, staining, paint deterioration, graffiti and surface contamination.
Traditional cleaning methods can solve many of these problems, but some projects require a more precise approach.
That's where commercial laser cleaning can provide an alternative.
What Can Laser Cleaning Remove?
Laser cleaning can be used for a variety of surface restoration and preparation applications.
Rust and Corrosion
Rust can develop on exposed metal components, structural elements, anchor systems and other building hardware.
Laser rust removal uses controlled laser energy to target oxidation and corrosion on suitable metal surfaces.
This can be useful when the objective is to remove corrosion while preserving the underlying component.
Aurora Industries has completed laser rust-removal work involving the NAIT anchor system and stone tiles at Enbridge Tower.
Paint and Coating Removal
Old, unwanted or damaged coatings can create challenges during building maintenance and restoration projects.
Laser cleaning can selectively remove paint and coatings from suitable surfaces without using traditional abrasive media.
Potential applications include:
Localized paint removal
Coating removal
Surface preparation
Graffiti removal
Restoration work
Preparation before recoating
When hazardous coatings such as lead-based paint are present, the project must be assessed and managed using appropriate worker protection, containment, testing and waste-handling procedures.
Graffiti Removal
Graffiti can quickly change the appearance of a commercial building or public structure.
Removing it from brick, stone, concrete or metal can be challenging because aggressive cleaning methods may affect the surface underneath.
Laser graffiti removal can provide a controlled approach for suitable substrates.
Aurora Industries has experience working on graffiti and surface-restoration projects involving bridge structures and light posts.
Concrete and Stone Restoration
Concrete and stone can accumulate grime, environmental staining and discoloration over time.
For architectural surfaces where preserving the existing material is important, laser cleaning can be an alternative to more aggressive mechanical cleaning methods.
Potential applications include:
Concrete columns
Stone facades
Masonry walls
Architectural features
Building exteriors
Transit structures
Historic and heritage surfaces
Aurora Industries has used laser cleaning for projects involving Capital Boulevard building concrete columns, ATB Place exterior walls and City transit stations.
Why Is Laser Cleaning Useful for Commercial Properties?
Commercial properties often have an additional challenge:
The work needs to happen without unnecessarily disrupting the building.
Laser cleaning can be advantageous for targeted projects because it does not require traditional abrasive blasting media or chemical stripping products.
Depending on the project, this can help reduce:
Cleanup requirements
Secondary blasting media
Chemical use
Surface abrasion
Disruption to surrounding areas
However, every project is different. The type of contaminant, substrate, access requirements and desired result should be assessed before selecting a cleaning method.
Laser Cleaning for Hard-to-Reach Buildings
Cleaning a surface is only part of the challenge when working on a commercial building.
Access can be equally important.
High-rise facades, bridges, building walls, architectural elements and other infrastructure may require specialized access systems.
Aurora Industries brings experience in rope access and commercial building maintenance alongside laser cleaning capabilities.
This means laser cleaning can be incorporated into larger building-maintenance and restoration projects rather than treated as an isolated cleaning service.
Laser Cleaning Applications for Commercial Buildings
A commercial property manager may consider laser cleaning for:
Metal
Rust
Corrosion
Oxidation
Anchor systems
Building components
Concrete & Stone
Environmental staining
Grime
Discoloration
Graffiti
Surface contaminants
Paint & Coatings
Paint stripping
Coating removal
Graffiti
Localized surface preparation
Infrastructure
Bridges
Transit stations
Light posts
Commercial building facades
Exterior architectural elements
Laser Cleaning in Edmonton and Calgary
Aurora Industries provides commercial laser cleaning services throughout Edmonton, Calgary and Alberta.
With experience in high-rise maintenance, rope access, exterior building services and surface restoration, our team can help determine the most appropriate approach for your project.
Whether you need laser rust removal, paint stripping, graffiti removal, concrete restoration or stone cleaning, we can assess the surface and project conditions to determine whether laser cleaning is a suitable solution.
Have a commercial surface that needs restoration?
Contact us to discuss your project and arrange an assessment.
