A Quick Guide to Cleaning Clay Bricks
The final appearance of clay bricks, specifically facing bricks, plays a huge role in drawing eyes onto any commercial structure. To vastly improve the appearance of brickwork, care and attention should be given to the bricks’ surface area during construction and post-build if necessary.
Sometimes cleaning may be required to improve the aesthetic value of these building materials. It could be quite a time and labour-intensive task depending on whether many bricks have succumbed to an infusion of dirt or water during transit, which can’t always be ruled out.
Factors to Consider When Cleaning UK Bricks
Cleaning clay facing bricks is not as straightforward as it may seem. The process of cleaning bricks is different from removing stains from bricks, and there are various strategies you can use for cleaning brickwork, which can vary depending on the type of brick you use.
The brick cleaning method you choose for any post-construction care can impact the commercial building’s long-term colour retention. Failing to clean correctly can cause problems and mean your building fails to make a striking impression as it often does with fresh, new facing bricks.
Furthermore, certain cleaning agents, chemicals and processes can prove hazardous to the surfaces and the people performing the cleaning duties themselves. This is why you should take the time to consider how you’ll ensure your brickwork is kept in good condition, where no cleaning is performed incorrectly or carelessly post-build.
Brick Cleaning Processes
During Construction
- Store brick above ground under protective coating to prevent damage.
- Protect any wall surfaces and unlaid brick from mortar splatter and rain, water or mud splashback.
- Ensure that correct bricklaying procedures are followed to reduce mortar smears; brush any excess mortar off after tooling.
- Protect any unfinished exterior walls with waterproof protection and extend this covering enough from the top of the wall on all sides.
Before Cleaning
- Ensure that all cleaning procedures conform to the brick manufacturers’ instructions and recommendations.
- Protect any adjacent materials that could be prone to damage by any brick cleaning.
- Perform trial cleans on small sample areas and allow that portion of bricks and blocks to dry before assessing whether that cleaning method is viable.
For All Cleaning Methods
- Again, follow the recommendations stated by the brick manufacturer and brick suppliers.
- Do not allow any cleaning solution to dry on any facing or engineering bricks.
- Avoid the use of any hydrochloric or hydrofluoric acid.
- Clean masonry surfaces soon after mortar hardens and not beforehand, as the solution could find its way into the soft mortar mixture and affect the structural integrity of joints between the brick bonds.
Which Cleaning Method Should I Use?
Any cleaning process you choose must conform to the recommendations stipulated by your specific brick manufacturing company. There are particular instructions they could give, but you can expect something akin to the below processes as a rough guide.
Bucket and Bristle Brush
This is a more straightforward method of cleaning bricks and is preferred by some due to the availability of cleaning compounds. It’s less aggressive on the bricks themselves and applicable to virtually any brick types, including (but not limited to):
- Handmade bricks
- Stock bricks
- Soft mud bricks
- Sand lime bricks
- Glazed bricks
You can use hot water to improve the effectiveness of the cleaning, but again, ensure that the cleaning compound used won’t compromise the brick texture, brick colour or general appearance.
It’s wise to ensure the area is saturated with water before applying any cleaning solution and that it is thoroughly rinsed everywhere, leaving no residue.
Pressurised Water
Consult any brick specialists before using pressurised water to clean bricks. This method is less labour intensive than using a brush and bucket, covering a wider area much more efficiently.
That said, it requires intricate and consistent pressure, water flow rate, angle and pressure, along with retaining a safe distance from the facing brick wall. This method should be considered carefully because excessive force could cause damage, erode mortar joints and remove any surface coatings (such as ceramics on glazed facing bricks).