U.S. General Services Administration
Technical Procedures Disclaimer
Prior to inclusion in GSA’s library of procedures, documents are reviewed by one or more qualified preservation specialists for general consistency with the Secretary of Interior Standards for rehabilitating historic buildings as understood at the time the procedure is added to the library. All specifications require project-specific editing and professional judgement regarding the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers are to serve as a general guideline and do not constitute a federal endorsement or determination that a product or method is the best or most current alternative, remains available, or is compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards. The library of procedures is intended to serve as a resource, not a substitute, for specification development by a qualified preservation professional.
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We’ve reviewed these procedures for general consistency with federal standards for rehabilitating historic buildings and provide them only as a reference. Specifications should only be applied under the guidance of a qualified preservation professional who can assess the applicability of a procedure to a particular building, project or location. References to products and suppliers serve as general guidelines and do not constitute a federal endorsement nor a determination that a product or method is the best alternative or compliant with current environmental regulations and safety standards.
PART 1–GENERAL
1.01 SUMMARY
- This procedure includes guidance on cleaning existing interior ornamental bronze lighting fixtures.
- See “General Project Guidelines” for general project guidelines to be reviewed along with this procedure. These guidelines cover the following sections:
- Safety Precautions
- Historic Structures Precautions
- Submittals
- Quality Assurance
- Delivery, Storage and Handling
- Project/Site Conditions
- Sequencing and Scheduling
- General Protection (Surface and Surrounding)
These guidelines should be reviewed prior to performing this procedure and should be followed, when applicable, along with recommendations from the Regional Historic Preservation Officer (RHPO).
PART 2–PRODUCTS
2.01 MATERIALS
- Mild Soap: Ivory or a mild detergent with pH of approximately 8.0.
- Cloth: Clean cotton waste.
- Clean, potable water.
PART 3–EXECUTION
3.01 ERECTION, INSTALLATION, APPLICATION
- Erect a stable working platform, which will allow easy access to all elements of the lighting fixture and its hangers. Support fixture so that no additional pressure will be placed on its hangers during the cleaning operation.
- Remove all bulbs and removable glass elements. Clean with a mild soap and water. Rinse and dry thoroughly.
- Clean glass elements which cannot be safely removed inside and out. Using a small nozzle, carefully vacuum dirt from the inside of the fixture and wash the glass with a mild soap and water, rinse thoroughly with clear water and dry with a clean, soft cloth.
- Cleaning Metal Framework and Hangers: Wash, clean and oil all the bronze elements of the fixture. For guidance on cleaning, oiling, polishing, and patinating, see “Checklist For Inspecting Cast Iron Failures” and “Cleaning And Oiling Statuary Bronze Surfaces”.