** Shortlisted – Irish Georgian Society Conservation Project 2017 **
** Finalist – Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2018 **
Project Details:
Oldstone Conservation were contracted as specialist contractor to clean and repair the facades to the Eastern Courtyard of the GPO, an area exceeding 2500m2. These works were undertaken prior to the construction of the new GPO Witness History Visitor Centre commemorating the 1916 Rising.
Façade Cleaning
Refer to the “before” and “after” photos below. The original façade was very heavily carbon stained and had never been cleaned since its reconstruction and opening in 1929. The cleaning process required mild techniques (steam clean) initially followed by numerous passes of chemical cleaning that gradually increasing strength until all stubborn staining was removed. It was critical not to over clean the building and hence constant reference had to be made with the approved cleaning sample. Building elements sensitive to the cleaning chemicals were protected during the cleaning works.
Repairs
Once cleaned the façade was inspected and the repair works marked on the façade and photographically recorded. The repair works consisted of:
– Render removal and reinstatement
– Brick repairs and replacement
– Repointing of brick mortar joints to match the existing style, texture and colour
– Crack stitching (Helifix)
– Lintel and cill repair and replacement
Programming & Co-ordination
The works were completed within a very tight 3 month timescale requiring sufficient resource planning and co-ordination with the main contractor and other specialist sub-contractors engaged on site.
