Projecting fine, inert powders under compressed air across masonry and stonework surfaces, the process gently rubs off decades of accumulated grime, lifting it away for recycling – and revealing the structure beneath as it first appeared.Ĭompared to water- or chemical-based alternatives, façade gommage® offers a more thorough, complete clean.
As such, they are less suited to water- and chemical-based cleaning processes, calling instead for a gentler technique that respects their finely contoured integrity.įaçade gommage®, patented by Thomann-Hanry®, is the ideal solution. Some nine centuries later, those very gargoyles are now part and parcel of the historic façades that London-based restoration specialists Thomann-Hanry® seek to preserve.Ĭarved into the stone corbels, keystones and friezes on many historic buildings, gargoyles and grotesques (the latter being simply a carved creature with no practical drainage aspects) invariably feature intricate detailing and fine craftsmanship. The purpose of these elaborately detailed, bizarre and often hellish church carvings was two-fold – firstly, to remind parishioners of the perils of non-attendance and secondly, to provide a channel for rainwater to track away from the building, thereby protecting its façade. The word “gargoyle” is derived from the French gargouille, meaning throat. The oldest, a stone crocodile in Turkey, is thought to be 13,000 years old. The practice of adorning buildings with decorative, creature-themed water drain spouts dates back several millennia – including examples from ancient Egyptian, Roman and Greek architecture. How façade gommage® helps restore historic gargoyles and grotesques to their original “beauty”Īlthough gargoyles and grotesques are most commonly associated with the building of cathedrals and churches across Europe from the mid 12 th century to the start of the 16 th century, they actually originate much earlier.
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