Masonry facade at 62-64 Reade Street in Tribeca, Manhattan

Facade Cleaning for New York Buildings

KNS cleans historic and commercial facades with methods suited to the material, existing condition and type of buildup.
Facade Cleaning

Restore the Facade Without Erasing History

Our Approach

Facade cleaning is not one-size-fits-all. The approach depends on the material, its condition, the type of soiling and the level of cleaning required.

KNS selects and adjusts the cleaning process to remove accumulated dirt and staining while protecting the existing facade, architectural detailing and surface texture.

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Atmospheric Soiling

The facade has darkened, streaked or stained unevenly and the owner wants the original material visible again.

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Local Law 11

Cleaning is performed alongside masonry repairs, repointing and other facade restoration work.

FISP Facade Repairs
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Landmark Restoration

Limestone, terra cotta, brick and carved ornament on a landmark call for a controlled method and LPC approval.

Landmark Restoration
Methods and Materials

What We Clean

KNS cleans stone, brick and masonry facades in New York, selecting the method for the material and its condition rather than applying one process to every building.

Micro-abrasive cleaning of limestone facades with the Quintek Rotec system, which lifts atmospheric soiling with a fine aggregate at controlled pressure while leaving tooled surfaces and carved ornament intact. KNS has used the system at The Frick Collection, Nine Orchard and 111 West 57th Street.

Cleaning of historic brick and glazed and unglazed terra cotta ahead of repointing and unit replacement, with the method set so that fired surfaces and glazes are not abraded.

Cleaning of 19th-century masonry facades within designated historic districts, including 62-64 Reade Street in the Tribeca South Historic District, with Landmarks Preservation Commission approval in place before work starts.

Cleaning sequenced with repointing, Dutchman repairs, ornament replication, copper and roofing work, so the facade is cleaned once and restored elements are matched to the cleaned field rather than the soiled one.

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Micro-abrasive cleaning equipment staged beside the garden at The Frick Collection, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Facade Cleaning Projects

Facade Cleaning Across New York

From historic limestone to commercial masonry, KNS performs facade cleaning across New York as a standalone scope and within larger restoration programs.

Fluted columns and Corinthian capitals at 62-64 Reade Street in Tribeca, Manhattan
Restored facade of Nine Orchard, the former Jarmulowsky Bank Building on the Lower East Side, Manhattan
Crew on the roof walkway above the limestone facade at The Frick Collection, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Copper roof and cupola of Steinway Hall at 111 West 57th Street, Midtown, Manhattan
Fluted columns and Corinthian capitals at 62-64 Reade Street in Tribeca, Manhattan
Tribeca, Manhattan

62-64 Reade Street

19th-century facades in the Tribeca South Historic District cleaned with the Quintek Rotec system, 2024

Restored facade of Nine Orchard, the former Jarmulowsky Bank Building on the Lower East Side, Manhattan
Lower East Side, Manhattan

Nine Orchard

Jarmulowsky Bank limestone, 1912, cleaned with the Quintek Rotec system during restoration.

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Crew on the roof walkway above the limestone facade at The Frick Collection, Upper East Side, Manhattan
Upper East Side, Manhattan

The Frick Collection

Quintek Rotec micro-abrasive cleaning and sealing of the Carrère and Hastings limestone facade, 2026.

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Copper roof and cupola of Steinway Hall at 111 West 57th Street, Midtown, Manhattan
Midtown, Manhattan

Steinway Hall

Warren and Wetmore limestone, 1925, cleaned with the Quintek Rotec system.

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Planning a Facade Cleaning Project?

Send KNS the building address, photographs of the soiling and any conditions survey or Landmarks Preservation Commission correspondence. Our team will review the material and recommend an approach.

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Frequently Asked Questions

No. Pressure washing pushes water at the surface at high pressure and, on soft stone or fired brick, takes surface with the soiling. KNS selects the equipment, media and pressure for the material. On historic limestone that is the Quintek Rotec micro-abrasive system, which lifts soiling with a fine aggregate while the tooled surface and carved detail underneath stay in place.

It should not. The objective is to remove soiling and biological growth, not the surface the stone has developed over a century. On sensitive historic work a mockup sets the benchmark before full-scale cleaning, and the facade is cleaned to that standard rather than to a uniform white.

Yes. Cleaning exterior masonry on a designated landmark or a building in a historic district is regulated work. The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s rules call for the gentlest effective method, and the method is reviewed before a permit is issued. KNS prepares the documentation and mockups that review requires.

No. Local Law 11 and FISP require periodic inspection of the facade and repair of the conditions the inspection identifies. Cleaning is not a compliance item, but it is often performed with those repairs so the facade is scaffolded once and new mortar and replacement units are matched to cleaned stone.

Let’s Bring Your Vision to Life

Contact KNS Building Restoration today for a free consultation. Our team of experts is ready to transform and preserve your building with precision and care.

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