Des Moines City Hall restored to its former glory

The Des Moines City Hall, which is over a hundred years old, was cleaned to remove organic dirt as part of the Kärcher cultural sponsorship programme.


Des Moines City Hall cleaned to permanently remove organic growth

"The City Hall represents the stability of our city and how long we have been here. It preserves our identity," says Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines.
Kärcher cleaned the facade to remove decades of dirt - without chemical cleaning agents.

Algae, fungi and lichen were gently removed from the limestone facade and granite plinth with the Kärcher HDS 4.5/22 hot water high-pressure cleaner.
Steam was used to remove organic dirt on the surface, with the deeper seated spores destroyed by the high temperature of the steam. Positive side effect: new organic growth takes longer to regrow.

Renovation and restoration measures

Des Moines City Hall was built between 1909 and 1910. The exterior cleaning of the facade supports the renovation and restoration of the City Hall which was carried out in 2017.

Facts at a glance

Country: USA
City: Des Moines

Material: Limestone, granite
Type of dirt: Algae, fungi, lichen, emissions

Carried out: October 2017


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