Ask us about laser cleaning
Send the coating specification or photos of the asset and we will come back to you with a straight answer.
Laser Cleaning for Rust, Paint and Coating Removal
A high energy laser vaporises the coating and leaves the substrate in place. No blast media, no water, no chemicals and very little waste. We use it to extend the life of industrial, infrastructure and heritage assets: lead paint off structural steel in live plants, rust and coating removal as preparation before recoating, graffiti off government assets, and heritage stone cleaned to the heritage architect's specification.
- Rust and mill scale off steel without touching the parent metal
- Lead paint removal with the waste captured at the head
- Heritage stone, brick and steel, to the heritage architect's specification
- Graffiti removal without ghosting
- Works inside live plants and occupied facilities, no dust cloud, no slurry
We work for industrial asset owners and their facility managers, infrastructure owners, principal contractors and heritage architects, to the engineer's or heritage architect's specification. We do not take on homeowner, house, cottage, fireplace, strata, balcony, apartment or single dwelling work, or small domestic jobs.
Or call now: 02 7912 3054
The same job, before and after
Laser cleaning on corroded steel sheet piles at Collaroy, then the prepared and coated result on the same piles.
Where a laser beats blasting
Blasting is brilliant until the environment cannot take it. Inside an operating facility, on a heritage facade, next to machinery that cannot be contaminated, or on lead paint where the waste stream matters, traditional preparation gets slow and expensive. That is the laser lane.
The beam ablates the coating layer by layer and the fume extraction captures the waste at the head. What would be tonnes of contaminated garnet on a lead job becomes a few kilograms of captured residue. On sensitive substrates you can take off one layer and leave the one beneath, which is why heritage architects specify it.
What we remove with it
- Rust and corrosion from structural steel, plant and machinery
- Lead based paint, with far less hazardous waste than blasting
- Failed coatings and linings ahead of recoating
- Graffiti from stone, brick and metal without ghosting
- Weld oxide and contamination before NDT or recoating
- Soot and fire residue from steel and masonry
Where it earns its money
Live industrial environments where dust and media are unacceptable. Heritage buildings where the substrate must not be touched. Lead paint jobs where waste volume drives the cost. Precision work on machinery where masking and cleanup would take longer than the removal itself.
It is not the answer to everything. On big open structural steel, blasting is still faster and cheaper, and we do both, so you get a straight recommendation rather than a sales pitch for whichever machine we own.
Proof before you commit
On most jobs we start with a test patch. You see exactly what the finish looks like on your actual substrate before committing to the full scope, and we price from the test patch production rate rather than guessing.
Good to know: We run both lasers and blasting. That means the recommendation you get is about your job, not about our equipment.
Where we work
Sydney based with a Queensland office. The laser plant travels, so regional and interstate work on bridges, plants, mills and heritage sites is routine. Tell us where the asset is and we will tell you what mobilisation costs.
Questions we get asked
Does the laser damage the metal underneath?
No. The energy is tuned to the coating, and ablation stops at the substrate. That is the whole point on heritage and precision work.
Is it safe for lead paint?
Yes, and it is often the best method. Fume extraction captures the residue at the head, so the hazardous waste volume is a fraction of what blasting produces.
Can it work inside an operating building?
Yes. No dust cloud, no media, no water. Laser safety zoning is required, which we set up and manage.
How fast is it?
Depends on the coating and thickness. Rust and thin coatings move quickly, thick build ups are slower. The test patch tells us the real rate and the price comes from that.
Is it more expensive than blasting?
Per square metre, usually yes. Per finished job it is often cheaper once containment, media waste and cleanup are counted, especially on lead or inside live facilities.
Does the laser suit your asset?
Send a photo of the surface and the coating specification. We will tell you straight whether laser or blasting wins, and arrange a test patch.
Call 02 7912 3054Related services
Perfect Remediation acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as Traditional Custodians of the country on which we live and work. We pay our respects to the Traditional Custodians and Elders past, present and future, and honour their connection to the land and ongoing contribution to society.