Benedictine Paulinzella Monastery Restoration Cleaning
Kärcher gently cleaned the 1,000 year old sandstone façade of Paulinzella Monastery as part of its cultural sponsoring program.
The South tower was gently freed from biological growth and gypsum crusts
Stubborn gypsum crusts were removed from the sandstone façade with a microparticle blasting machine and blasting abrasive aluminum silicate.
Algae and lichens were cleared away with two hot water high-pressure cleaners in steam mode.
Cleaning in steam mode
The ruin of Benedictine Paulinzella Monastery ranks among the major Romanesque church buildings of Central Germany. As part of the restoration of the South tower, it was gently freed from biological growth and gypsum crusts by a Kärcher cleaning expert. A cleaning concept was developed before the start of the restorative cleaning, to make sure the delicate and already weather-beaten sandstone wasn’t damaged.
To begin with, the algae and lichens were gently cleared away with two hot water high-pressure washers (HDS 12/18-4 S and HDS 13/20-4 S) in steam mode. Afterwards, the stubborn gypsum crusts were removed from the sandstone facade with a microparticle blasting machine and blasting abrasive aluminum silicate (particle size of 0.04 – 0.08mm). Vapor diffusion was improved as a result, allowing the sandstone to breathe again. This can prevent damage to the building structure in future.
Paulinzella Monastery
Construction of the monastery church began in 1105, and it was consecrated in the year 1124. The monastery was founded by Saxon noblewoman Paulina (1067-1107) and is in the possession of the Thuringian Castles and Gardens Foundation today.
Facts at a glance
Country: Germany
City: Paulinzella
Material: Sandstone
Soiling: Biological growth, gipsum crusts
Cleaning technique: Hot water high-pressure cleaning, low-pressure microparticle blasting
Execution: August 2018
