DJ Cooper Building Conservation for Langport, Somerset

The historic town of Langport, on the banks of the River Parrett, claims to be the smallest town in England. Langport and all the villages around are part of the Somerset Levels, where in 2014, flooding had a catastrophic effect on farming in the area, with the worst flooding since 1929. Most of the blame was laid at the door of the Environment Agency for failing to dredge the River Parrett and the Parrett Relief Channel, both of which were said to be silted up to below 60% of their capacity to clear the flood waters from the Levels. As always, famers carry on farming against all the odds, and local herds are still maintaining their numbers. As with all areas that are prone to wet underfoot conditions, great vigilance needs to be employed to spot and treat cattle lameness quickly to keep yields up. For this reason, farmers in the Langport area call on us more frequently than average for:<br /><br />With historic buildings in and around the town, some national monuments, some still in use, owned privately or by the local council, we often find ourselves called on in the Langport area to ensure that when the grime from traffic, bird fouling, general day to day soiling or even graffiti is removed from a treasured building, there is no damage to the often delicate stonework beneath.<br /><br />From removal of old paint for a domestic redecoration project, or the intricate cleaning of stone work in a cathedral using the poultice method, you will find that wherever you are in Langport or Somerset, you will get a quick response, highly competitive quotation and thorough cleaning from DJ Cooper. Our number is shown above, or if you prefer to send us an email, simply click in the header of any page.

Photo from Featured Project near Langport, Somerset
Poultice Cleaning for intricate stone work
Poultice cleaning for the most precious and fragile pieces of stonework.<br /><br />One of the most gentle techniques for removing the effects of time and pollution, bird fouling and other contamination from stonework is the process of poultice cleaning.<br /><br />This is now very commonly used to maintain irreplaceable stone carving and mouldings, where the underlying material may be fragile with age and weathering. As its name implies, the process is similar to applying a poultice in medicine. A chemical mix is applied to the surface and allowed to cure. Then, when it has done its work, simply peeled off, lifting the dirt with it to leave a clean surface.<br /><br />As in so many aspects of cleaning, there is a huge choice of poultice materials to choose from. The skill of making the right decision is as important as the art of applying the materials correctly and making sure that the only thing removed from your stonework is the contamination.<br /><br />With a long experience in all types of exterior and interior stonework cleaning, including poultice techniques, you can be sure that you will get the best possible combination of cleaning efficiency and substrate preservation from D.J, Cooper.