Labas Construction is a Vancouver, British Columbia-based master-craft masonry restoration company. Built on a family foundation of over 35 years in the industry, Labas Construction offers masonry restoration and monument cleaning, servicing Western Canada.

The jobsite is the oldest cemetery in Vancouver. It dates back to 1886. Labas Construction was contracted to do the cleaning of a war memorial monument constructed in 1926. The monument is cherished and very popular among visitors who come to see it and take pictures of it.

THE PROBLEM

The client was concerned about several issues with this monument. They didn’t want the marble to be damaged in the cleaning. They were also concerned about the lead lettering. There was a red wax that had been poured on the monument. The most important objective was that the cleaning actually removed the wax. Since this was a significant monument, they wanted to preserve it the best they could by not damaging the stone.

THE SOLUTION

For this job Labas used the ThermaTech unit with the standard nozzle, high heat of 150°C and low pressure. This combination cleaned off the wax without damaging the monument, and got it back to its original state.

THE OUTCOME

The client was so impressed with the results that he was lost for words. The difference between its condition before and after cleaning was outstanding. Not only did the ThermaTech clean the monument, but it preserved the marble, didn’t damage the lead lettering, and completely removed the red wax.