It was 25 years ago that attitudes towards stone cleaning started to harden following some significant disasters with chemicals and grit blasting. Brian Crowe of Stonehealth both correctly identified the trend and helped to change the culture by introducing the Jos gentle swirling vortex stone cleaning system, the latest version of which from Stonehealth goes under the name of Torc.

Due to expansion, Stonehealth has just moved from its beloved but cramped premises at Bowers Court in Dursley, Gloucestershire, to a double industrial unit a short distance away that has been completely renovated to provide ample workshop, manufacturing storage and office space.

The move coincides with a redesign of the Torc system, designed and manufactured exclusively by Stonehealth. Torc has undergone major changes since its evolution from the original Jos system. Now comes a redesign informed both by feedback from users and developments by Stonehealth’s engineers to reduce the cost to the user.

The main suggestion from users was for an electricity-free system. This would allow the Torc operator to use the machine remotely, without having to find a nearby electricity supply. This is especially useful as, more often than not, it is required for outdoor use. This has often meant a generator has been required on-site.

The new ‘plug-and-play’ system remains competitively priced, needing only to be connected to an existing air compressor and water supply to make it more mobile.

Another suggestion was to reduce the size of the hose (previously 25m of it), which many operators thought was unnecessarily long. It has now been shortened to 15m, with the option for extensions if required.

The increased floor space the move to Draycott Business Park has given Stonehealth means it is now able to store more materials in-house. As a result, the quality of the products can be monitored more closely and the company can offer mixed pallets of its wide range of cleaning products to its customers. And delivery charges will no longer be added per delivered tonne but will be calculated according to post code, meaning a fairer price for the customer.

As mentioned above, Stonehealth trains and registers operatives who use its Doff super-heated water cleaning system and Torc gentle abrasive system. And so clients are in no doubt they are using a trained operative, it runs a ‘Rosette Approved Contractor’ programme.

What a Rosette means is that all operatives will have undergone Stonehealth’s in-house induction, machines will have been serviced at least once a year to ensure that they are performing at optimum levels and any repairs will have been carried out with genuine spares. Torc contractors are also obliged to use Stonehealth Approved granulates exclusively.

The scheme was established because customers tend to blame products rather than operators when something goes wrong. By identifying skilled operators, it is less likely that anything will go wrong.

As an added precaution, Stonehealth will hire out its machines only to contractors who already have genuine Torc and Doff systems.

Stonehealth launched a new website a little while ago, which it says will soon include a new searchable database of contractors. Using it you will be able to tell at a glance which system a contractor has and whether or not they have received the Stonehealth Rosette Accreditation for use of Doff and/or Torc.

With a growing list of contractors using its products, Stonehealth felt it would be beneficial for customers to have them displayed in an interactive format that allows you to see each contractor’s particular areas of expertise. The user will enter the specification for the job into the contact form which is handled by Stonehealth and then dispatched to the appropriate contractor.