A product that removes salt from masonry has helped stop the deterioration of Australia’s oldest surviving European building Elizabeth Farm, which was built in 1793 from hand made bricks and Sydney sandstone.
Westox’s Cocoon was used to address deterioration caused by high salt contamination from rising damp.
“Cocoon appealed to us because of its efficiency. The sacrificial renders we previously used required ongoing maintenance and never reached a point where the render could be removed without deterioration reoccurring soon afterwards,” says Gary Crockett, property curator of the Historic Houses Trust.
Cocoon works by drawing the salt out of the masonry it is applied to. Cocoon is trowelled on in a 10 mm thick layer where it slowly releases water into the masonry to place the build up of salts in the surface of the wall into solution. As the cocoon dries, the water containing the salts is drawn into it. The cocoon is then removed, along with the salt.
“Since applying Cocoon in 2002, we have not had to reapply the product, nor have we had to re-apply any sacrificial renders and it will be a while before we will need to reapply Cocoon. The deterioration of the stonework, especially on our flagstone verandas, has been stopped,” says Crockett.
He adds that Cocoon was fast acting and didn’t introduce anything foreign or unknown into the stone work. It is a simple and straightforward procedure.
Cocoon is the brainchild of Westox managing director Barrie Cooper as he recognised the need for a product to remove salt from masonry and developed the product initially to treat salt contamination at Fort Denison on Sydney Harbour.
