Black stains on the face of bricks is a very common issue that affects hundreds of thousands of houses all across the UK. It is particularly common in areas where there is heavy traffic, or where there is or was heavy industry present, with the soot released by these activities settling on the face of brickwork. These carbon deposits gradually build up, forming layers on top of each other and spreading out across the brick façade, sometimes encompassing the entire façade itself. This process occurs over decades thus removing black stains from brickwork can be a difficult process.
To effectively remove black stains from brickwork a combination of very specific equipment, and a highly experienced team to best utilise the equipment is required. The equipment required is complex and this certainly is not a job the average home or business owner can do themselves.
How to Remove Black Stains from Brickwork
The first stage of the removal process should begin with a thorough consultation, a good team will keep in close contact with you throughout the entire cleaning process, informing you of progress, problem areas, and a general overview of how the work is proceeding.
After the team understands the requirements of the job as well as your own parameters, a date should be set and the team will arrive on the day with all the needed equipment.
To clean soot staining, a detergent wash is required first, the chemicals being used are highly specific and should only be applied by experienced professionals, most of which use water-fed poles to apply the solution. This will be brushed into the face of the brick, with the solution working to disrupt the body of the carbon, loosening its attachment to the wall, and then separating the stain from itself.
It usually takes a number of treatments for the wall to be cleaned entirely, and high-power pressure washers are used to apply more force to the brick and really dig into the soot stain. This part of the job frequently shows what we call the “waterfall” effect, in which the stain runs down the face of the wall as the stain gradually relents.
The power washers we use are the best available, being vital to remove ground in soot. However, our team understands exactly how best to apply these machines, ensuring that we always protect the brick itself and avoid damaging pointing.
On jobs where height is a consideration, some teams can use cherry pickers to reach the high aspects, with the power washing being conducted from the elevated platform. This also allows for more fine cleaning and an overall higher quality finish. You should always make sure that the team you trust to complete the job, particularly with elevated work platforms, is fully certified.
Because of the machinery and the chemicals involved it is essential that the team has a full appreciation of the health and safety required in order to keep those who stay at the building we are working on, and the general public.
Our team is always keen to communicate with any health and safety officers on commercial work, and with the customer on any residential work, so that you can rest assured that the work is being carried out in a safe and efficient way.
Different bricks must also be treated differently, for example, our team recognises that many brick facades are painted, and so strategy must be adapted in order to protect the paint, this would include more power washing treatments, but being one at a lower pressure so as not to lift off the paint.
Many brick facades also have designs imprinted or the designs are made up of the bricks themselves, and so we have always designed our methods to avoid any damage being done to the brick itself. We understand that front-facing bricks attract the most black stain, owing to their proximity to busy roads, we also understand how these bricks need to be treated and what methods we can and can’t use in order to get the best results.
The benefits of a brick cleaning done by an experienced team make the job so worthwhile. It breathes new life into tired brick facades and creates a great first impression of cleanliness and orderliness. Furthermore, many properties see a considerable increase in value owing to this new impression, much more than the actual cost of the work.
Our methods have been developed over such a long period that we can tackle essentially any problem, regardless of complexity or size, we have the ability to clean both black stains and forms of organic pollutants such as algae. A successful removal of black stain on brick will result in the quick and effective removal of the stain as well as any other pollutants, with you having been well informed throughout and all health and safety procedures carefully observed.
If you need any advice on cleaning any exterior surface, contact Cleaning Service ltd today, our highly experienced team will be happy to answer all your queries. We also provide free quotes!
