Soho-Cast Iron District

Project Info

  • Date

    November 2023

  • Category

    Historical Preservation & Restoration

  • Location

    Manhattan, New York City

General Project Description
Cleaning and preservation of a historic vaulted brick ceiling, typical of the Soho-Cast Iron District, in the heart of Manhattan. Multiple units converted into a single space presented a unique challenge of keeping a uniform look over the entire ceiling area of 5,000 square feet.

Brick Cleaning
After some testing the medium chosen for the brick cleaning was crushed glass slurry. A unique mixture of crushed glass and water capable of removing all of the dirt, including decorative and whitewash paint, efflorescence and smoke residue, without damaging the surface of the brick thanks to the fine adjustments made on the blasting equipment.

Metal Beam Cleaning
Rust removal from the metal beams was done using dry ice as a blasting medium.