Sandstone care for Paddington terraces

Terraces define Paddington. At the 2016 census, close to two in three dwellings were semi-detached, row or terrace houses, built along a high sandstone ridge. In 1968, about 400 acres of these terraces were rezoned as the first conservation area in Australia. Victoria Barracks, designed by Lieutenant-Colonel George Barney, is a sandstone landmark on the suburb's edge, and Juniper Hall in Ormond Street is on the State Heritage Register. Paddington Town Hall, the Paddington Reservoir Gardens, Trumper Park Oval and the Five Ways intersection are all local reference points. On a terrace, sandstone usually shows up as footings, front steps, window sills, courtyard walls and the occasional original paving flag.

Most terrace sandstone sits close to the ground, and that is where its problems start. Moisture rises into footings and steps, and as it evaporates it leaves salt that crystallises in the pores and pushes the surface off, leaving a white bloom and sandy crumble. Back courtyards are narrow and shaded by neighbouring walls, so they stay damp and grow black mould, green algae and lichen. South-facing front walls do the same on a smaller scale. Hawkesbury sandstone is very porous and weathers on exposed edges, and a lot of terrace stone has been made worse by earlier pressure washing or acid-based cleaners that left stripes and orange iron staining behind.

Paddington is split between two councils. North of Oxford Street is Woollahra Council, which administers the Paddington Heritage Conservation Area, one of its three largest and described as being of national and state significance. South of Oxford Street is the City of Sydney, which has its own heritage controls. Before any restoration, repointing, stone replacement or coating removal, confirm which council covers your address and whether approval is needed. Gentle cleaning is the least invasive step, but it is still worth checking if the property is an individual heritage item. We use conservation methods throughout and can supply photos and a written description of the work for your records.

Paddington is roughly an eight-minute drive from Double Bay, where we are based. The practical challenge is access: most terraces have no side lane, so equipment comes through the front door and hallway to reach the courtyard. Our technicians lay floor protection, cover doorways and work with controlled water volumes so nothing tracks inside. Street parking is tight, so we agree a spot for the van at the time of booking and keep hose runs tidy across the footpath. At the front, run-off from steps and footings is captured before it reaches the gutter. Because terraces share walls, we let you know if the work will affect a neighbour's side so you can give them notice.