Preperation

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Stucco Repair
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Creation of Stucco Walls

Carving

Stone Design
Stone Carving

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Stone Repair

Anti-Pigeon Gel

This is a particularly troublesome compound that was applied in the past as a deterrent to perching pigeons. The idea was that the thick mastic was applied to ledges and windowsills, so that the jelly-like substance unbalanced the perching birds.

Unfortunately generations of pigeon feet simply crushed it into a gelatinous mass which has to be physically scraped off before conventional cleaning methods can tackle underlying grime. David Frost explains: "It's so sticky and glutinous that blasting with abrasives simply spreads it around rather than removing it. Scraping is the only answer, and you have to be careful where the debris goes - it sticks to anything, especially scaffolding, ladders or other parts of the building, even your shoes. We scraped nearly four tons of the stuff off Westminster Central Hall."

Apart from aesthetic reasons for removal, this gel blocks the stones' pores, compromising its natural porosity and its ability to evacuate dampness. Plugs of the material can also serve to dam up pools of water which can be absorbed by capillary action, to the detriment of adjacent areas.

Most of the substance is removed using nonabrasive plastic or wooden scrapers, the debris immediately being deposited in sealable containers to prevent dispersal. Methylene chloride, or a similar organic solvent-based remover, can then be applied to dislodge the remainder. The resultant mixture is finally sluiced away using low-pressure hot water, taking care to avoid staining nearby building surfaces.

Pigeon'walls'Sometimes there can be a thick raft composed of layers of ancient pigeon excrement interspersed with old nesting material, such as feathers and straw. Since straw and manure were two components of the traditional building material daub, it is hardly surprising that these constructions can be astonishingly rigid, three to four feet high, and very difficult to remove. Flattened anti-pigeon gel usually provides the bottom, glutinous layer of this wall.