How To Clean Red Brick – In my last post, I mentioned that we exposed our brick walls. I didn’t mention how dirty the bricks are. The walls were covered with plaster chips and lots of dust and salt (due to a leak). We can clean the stucco with household products, but I want to clean the brick in the most effective way.
I turned to Google and read hundreds of suggestions. I have found that there are many options (brushing, water, soap, acid) but many people just use a wire brush to clean the interior brick. I immediately went to the local hardware store and bought three wire brushes, shown below.
How To Clean Red Brick
Our all-purpose brush of choice (cleaning brick and mortar, removing small bits of plaster, etc.) is the 3″ x 19″ Series Wire Brush. We spent 4-5 hours dry brushing our brick walls. We had to close the whole area because brushing your teeth creates a lot of dust.
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Unfortunately, the walls still look dirty after dry brushing. Plus, I’m pretty sure my right arm and shoulder are permanently sore from the amount of scrubbing required!
The next thing we tried was just to wet the walls with water and a brush. (If this wall was outside, I’d do a wash and finish.) It produced a lot of water runoff (big mess), but was somewhat effective at cleaning the brick. It also creates less dust because the water absorbs the dust. It took us another 3-4 hours and the walls were still dirty after that. Underneath, the wet part looks clean, but it continues to dry, get dirty and produce more dust.
Storm Jonas is here and we have a little extra time at home to continue cleaning the bricks. WaterSeal Oxy Foaming Action Masonry Cleaner is available at our local hardware store. We tried painting it on the wall and spraying it on the wall. Honestly, it does absolutely nothing. The water method works just as well with this cleanser. However, this was another 2-3 hour job due to the amount of scraping required. We also purchased a wire brush drill attachment to clean the brick further… safe. It was too abrasive for our soft tiles and really ruined the surface.
Finally, the builder told us to use hydrochloric acid. I had read about acid in my original research and read how unnecessary it is. What I’m trying to say here is…this is what’s best for us. I strongly recommend goggles, thick rubber gloves, a bucket and a brush with acid.
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Dilute the acid with water, one part acid to ten parts water. Immediately after brushing the bricks, he begins to work on the dust and foam. We immediately broke the bricks and removed the fallen mortar, but the dirt, plaster and salt were completely dissolved by the acid. Some tough areas will require a lot of pickling. Then we wash it with water and it’s ready! In just 2 hours, our walls were clean and ready to seal (more on that later). Be aware that acid smells like rotten eggs, which means our house will smell like rotten eggs within days.
Here’s another comparison because wow! I wish I wasn’t afraid of acid in the first place. It’s simple, burns very little fat and so fast! You may not be familiar with the term “weathering,” but if you’re a home or property owner, it’s important to understand this issue because it’s one of the biggest. Common masonry stains that can occur in masonry restoration and historic restoration projects. Weathering describes the deposits of crystalline salts that occur on porous building surfaces. The word is of French origin and means ‘flower’ and describes the ‘bloom’ of salt on the surface, sometimes called ‘whiskers’. While the translation may be beautiful, spilled stones on your basement walls, or anything but beautiful or fine stone, may indicate a serious problem.
Salt spills require three elements: salt, water and porous material. Weathering is most common on brick, but can occur on any porous surface such as stucco, concrete, block, and even wood.
Weathering starts with salt. Salt is found in the soil and in building materials such as bricks, mortar, cement, lime, sand, clay, mixes and support materials.
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Normal discharge is white, but the color can vary, including yellow or brown, depending on the salt and chemicals involved. Common salts include calcium sulfate, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, vanadyl sulfate, calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, and manganese oxide.
The second substance is water. During construction, the water used to mix cement and mortar starts the process by dissolving salts from the building materials it comes into contact with. Water also comes from rain, snow, sprinkler systems, cracks, crevices and soil. Water dissolves the salts and moves them to the surface of a brick wall or concrete foundation. As the water evaporates, the salt is left behind, which you see as runoff.
By dealing with leaking bricks before or after construction, prevention is more effective than removal and will save time and money in the future. For new construction, leak prevention depends on judicious choice of materials and isolation of building materials from sources of salt and water. Here are some tips to avoid leaks during construction.
Store masonry materials off the ground and covered with a tarp. This will prevent them from absorbing too much water or salt.
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Make sure the construction plan includes eaves, overhangs and flashing to reduce the chance of water entering the walls above.
Make sure the landscape design includes adequate drainage areas to direct water away from the masonry work. Sprinkler systems should be adjusted so that water does not flow over buildings or walls.
Use a moisture barrier between the masonry building and the ground. This prevents water ingress and salt absorption.
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Mechanical compaction and dense mortar joints remove voids in the grout and reduce porosity, which slows the movement of water and salt between bricks, bricks or stones.
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As a final step after mortar tools and final cleaning, applying a hydrophobic sealer keeps outside water away from rain and snow.
When installing pavers, ensure that the pavers material and slope allow for proper drainage. Permeable geotextiles prevent salt absorption from the soil.
Our 29-page guide contains useful information on identifying, removing and preventing the 19 most common stains found on masonry.
Even when proper precautions are taken to separate masonry from water and salt sources, it is important to note that masonry construction is a perfectly normal by-product due to the inherent salt content of the material itself. After the original flowers have been collected, they must not be returned. Paving leaks will eventually stop on their own after the salt in the pavers is gone.
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On the other hand, repeated leaks may indicate an ongoing water ingress problem that needs to be addressed before it causes permanent damage to the structure. Weathering can move deeper into the substrate, resulting in something called hypobloom. It occurs when salt deposits become trapped in underground cracks and voids, causing spalling. This process is accelerated by the freeze cycle in the northern regions.
Surface leaks in brickwork are unsightly but easy to fix. There are three ways to remove bricks, bricks, concrete or stones. The best time to clean up spills is when the weather is warm and dry.
On some smooth surfaces, you can use a stiff brush. Since the spill is dry and powdery, it’s easy to wipe up with a brush. Wear a dust mask to protect your lungs.
On other surfaces, rinsing with a garden sprayer or pressure washer can disperse the spill and let it run. For pressure washers, use the end with the largest angle that will not damage the surface. However, with the flush method, as the substrate dries, the water may introduce more salt to the surface, so re-wetting or brushing may be required.
Proper Technique For Cleaning Your Brick Patio
Pressing and pressure washing may not be sufficient for hard salt deposits. Acidic cleaners such as Sure Klean Light Duty Concrete Cleaner and Sure Klean Vana Trol are more effective. Using hydrochloric acid on masonry and mortar is never recommended as it will stain or burn your masonry, corrode mortar joints and cause premature wear through water seepage. It is also impure, with invisible power and labor intensity.
When considering how to prevent or remove debris from a construction or maintenance project, it’s important to remember that no one solution is right for every project. Our customer service team can help you find the right product for your specific conditions and situation, including stains, substrate and area. They can be reached at 1-800-255-4255, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. normal time. Visit our Brick Care page to learn more about masonry cleaning products. As a building material, brick is valued for its strong and durable appeal. However, over time and prolonged exposure to the elements, its porous surface can begin to accumulate dust, mold and debris, reducing its performance
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