St Stephens, Hampstead
Malaysian High Commission
Farringdon Road
Royal Academy of Arts
Bishopgate
In & Out Club
Kew Palace
Tower of London
Banqueting House
Albany Terrace
Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel
Vicarage Gate
Tower Bridge Cafe
BUILDING CONSERVATION
Tower Bridge Cafe 2004
• Removal and repair of damage caused by efflorescence and water ingress
• Application of sacrificial lime-based coating
Problem
The objective at the Tower Bridge Cafe was to investigate the sources of efflorescence and water damage to internal stonework.
Solution
Our aim was to halt these processes; to remove the considerable salt deposits from the surface of the bay window stones and to clean the stonework of staining; to repair the stones that had sustained damage from the movement and expansion of iron fixings; and to apply a protective sacrificial lime-based coating to the stone.
We were able to identify the cause of the presence of water and reduce the amount of water contamination. Nevertheless, we were unable to wholly eradicate the problem.
Why? The degree of efflorescence and its source could not be confirmed. As part of the investigative works carried out by LSC, we discovered a damaged salt box (for de-icing), directly above the Tower Café on Tower Bridge Road. A large amount of pure salt was leaching from the box, seeping through the asphalt, rubble core of paving and into the internal stonework of the Tower Café.
We contacted the local authority to file a report. However, on meeting the council surveyor at the offending salt box, he rejected our hypothesis outright, denied all council responsibility, and ultimately refused to authorise the removal or repair of the salt box itself!
This project remains unresolved in consequence, whilst we look for other possible trajectories of causation. Nevertheless, it was agreed that we would complete the works and continue to monitor and maintain the affected areas.
