14 / cleaning
The Stonehealth TORC system uses a low pressure vortex of air, water and fine inert granulate to remove paint, graffiti, carbon sulphation and biological soiling from stone, brick and masonry. We specify TORC when a gentle controlled abrasion is needed that DOFF steam alone cannot deliver. Managed by A Star and delivered by our Stonehealth Rosette approved specialist, under A Star RAMS.
When this is the right route
Scope · included
Scope · not included
Sectors
Process
01
Substrate identified, soiling type and depth assessed, trial patch to confirm TORC suitability, moisture content, previous treatment history, access and containment feasibility.
02
Granulate grade selected, vortex pressure and water ratio calibrated to the substrate, containment plan with negative air where dust control needs it, damp operation protocol, and the condition record scope.
03
Project RAMS covering COSHH for the inert granulate, exclusion zone radius, scaffold encapsulation, dust monitoring during works, noise assessment for neighbours, and traffic and pedestrian management on public highways.
04
Encapsulation and MEWP or scaffold setup with full containment. Damp TORC application in controlled passes, continuous substrate inspection to avoid over cleaning, spent granulate and soiling collected by filtered vacuum. On completion, containment removed and a final inspection held with the client or conservation officer.
05
Post clean report: granulate specification, pass count, before and after photographs, moisture readings, substrate condition record, maintenance guidance and retreatment interval where staining recurs.
Built for the people who buy decorating
We are a specialist sub-contractor, not a turnkey fit-out outfit. We deliver decorating, spraying, restoration and coatings under main contractors and direct estate teams.
For main contractors
Variations priced ahead of the request. Per-store handover record. A no-snag handover policy. We run the way you run.
For estate + FM teams
Survey to handover without closing the unit. Powder-coat restoration with a 5-7 year service life. Run-off, masking and reopening tracked store-by-store.
For retail estate leads
Brand-matched paint stacks against the estate spec. KPI reporting per store. Programme that survives shopfit slippage instead of inheriting it.
Find the right route
Most visitors arrive with a sector problem before they know the coating system. These routes match the way buyers search: home and residential work, retail fit-out programmes, and industrial painting or warehouse coatings.
Domestic and residential decorating
We come from commercial sites: Primark stores, Tesco superstores, occupied warehouses. That discipline carries into residential work. A proper survey before quoting, written dust-control plans, and a room by room handover that does not leave loose ends.
Retail decorating contractors
Retail decorating is not about paint. It is about working nights around store teams, matching brand colour exactly, absorbing late variation instructions without losing the handover date, and walking away with a signed snag list. Not a punch list left for someone else to close.
Industrial painting contractors
Industrial and warehouse scopes need the coating system specified by substrate condition, not by what is cheapest to apply. We survey the floor, the cladding, the steelwork and the roof before recommending a system, then plan MEWP access, exclusion zones and drying-time sequencing around live operations.
How we deliver
Twenty years finishing commercial buildings across the UK. Director led, the same trusted crews, one programme and one point of contact from survey to handover.
01
Stores stay open. Surveys, masking and run off planned around foot traffic.
02
Night programmes on retail and hospitality estates. Clean before doors open.
03
Rolling 4 to 12 stores a week against a national programme.
04
Offices in Poole and London. Crews mobilised across England, Scotland and Wales.
05
Decorating, on site spraying, powder coat restoration and floor coatings under one PM.
06
Before and after record, gloss readings and written service life on every scheme.
Frequently asked
Yes. TORC is a Stonehealth conservation system. The low pressure vortex with fine inert granulate is controllable and does not open the stone pores or abrade historic tooling when operated correctly. We run a trial patch at survey and supply method statements for conservation officer approval.
DOFF uses superheated steam at low pressure to lift biological and atmospheric soiling without abrasion. TORC adds a fine inert granulate into the vortex, giving a gentle controlled abrasion that removes paint, graffiti and hard carbon sulphation. If the soiling is surface dirt or algae, DOFF is ideal. If it is paint or a thick carbon crust, TORC is the right tool. The survey specifies which system suits your substrate.
TORC can be run damp, which suppresses airborne dust. For large facades or enclosed spaces we add full encapsulation and negative air extraction. The granulate is inert and non toxic, but we treat it as nuisance dust under COSHH and monitor during the work. It is far cleaner than dry grit blasting.
Yes. TORC is effective at peeling paint, bitumen coatings and graffiti off masonry. We adjust the vortex pressure and granulate grade to strip the layers without cutting into the brick face. A trial patch at survey shows the result and the number of passes needed.
It depends on the soiling type, area and number of passes. A typical residential stone frontage runs 2 to 4 days including containment and handover. Commercial facades run to a programme agreed in writing. You get a day by day schedule after the survey.
TORC is not intended for soft render, painted timber, glazing or delicate carvings that cannot tolerate any abrasion, and it is not the right choice for light biological soiling where DOFF steam is enough. The survey confirms suitability before any equipment is mobilised.
In most cases yes. We start with the gentlest effective setting to lift the paint, then step up the granulate grade or pass count only as far as the substrate allows. Aged stone can hold a faint shadow where the tag has soaked in, which we flag at survey, but the masonry surface itself is preserved. The same RAMS, insurance and COSHH controls we run on commercial sites apply to your home.
Start a conversation
We will review the service route, access, preparation, finish and likely next step before the job is priced properly.
Related services
08 / cleaning
DOFF cleaning UK. DOFF superheated steam, TORC gentle abrasive, chemical, jet wash and soft wash cleaning for facades, cladding and hard surfaces, and for residential exteriors: period brick, natural stone, patios, driveways and block paving. Method chosen to the substrate. Heritage safe is the default, not an upgrade, backed by the same RAMS and insurance we supply to main contractors.
02 / restoration
powder coated frame restoration. Faded shopfronts, curtain walls and entrance frames recovered to a matched RAL or BS finish. Works carried out around live trading. Written service life expectation with every scheme.
13 / cleaning
roof soft washing. Low pressure soft washing and biocide application that kills moss, algae and lichen at the root, without the tile damage pressure washing causes. MEWP access keeps the programme tight and avoids scaffold overrun. Gutter clearance is included in every roof clean.
