Brick Cleaning
The purpose of cleaning is to remove contamination without causing
damage to the bricks or mortar. This can be hard to achieve since the dirt can
be embedded within the surface of the bricks and joints. Using chemical
methods or aggressive high pressure water washing on old brickwork can cause
more damage than leaving the bricks dirty.
Sympathetic Brick Cleaning Methods
We use two main methods for cleaning brickwork and all masonry
which include the hot box superheated steam system and eco soda blast cleaning
to achieve maximum visual impact results whilst being sensitive to the host
materials.
Soda Blasting
The development of air vortex blast cleaning, using soda as a
gentle abrasive, enabled old brickwork to be cleaned without damage. Soda
blasting is one of our preferred methods of revitalising your brickwork. This
uses compressed air to fire specially graded sodium bicarbonate crystals at the
brickwork in order to remove surface deposits. Eco Soda blasting is
particularly suited to the removal of:
·
Organic and lime based paints
·
Lime scale and efflorescence
·
Carbon soiling
·
Bitumen
·
Bird droppings
·
Algae staining
Soda blasting does not damage the substrate and is environmentally
friendly. Sodium bicarbonate is much softer than bricks so it does not act
as an abrasive to the surface. It works from the outside in, gently removing
successive layers of the contamination until the surface of the brick is
reached.
Traditional methods are less controlled and will remove the layer
of soiling in one fell swoop, damaging the surface of your brickwork.
APT is the leading Soda Blasting contractor in the UK.
Hot Box Cleaning
In situations where
moss, algae and fungi are the main problems, the APT Hot Box system is the perfect
solution. This was designed by our site operatives working with engineers and
uses low pressure steam at high temperature. It is a very efficient brick
cleaning method that cuts down on labour costs and therefore it is a highly
cost effective option for our clients. Other benefits include:
·
Quick drying as the steam is superheated and the
low volume of water needed to create the steam means very little water is left
on the surface of the bricks
·
Can be used in all seasons as the low pressures
used do not force water droplets into any pores in the bricks, reducing the
chances of freeze-thaw damage
·
Low surface pressure prevents damage to soft
brickwork
·
High temperatures kill the spores of mosses, algae
and fungi meaning that no chemical inhibitors need to be used either before or
after cleaning in order to retard re-growth
Skilled Operators
The skill lies as much with the operator as the method. The machine
can't differentiate between sound and weaker brickwork; it can't differentiate
between soiling and substrate; it cannot tell if a surface is hard or soft. A
trained operator, such as our APT cleaning technicians can.
Our staff undergo a rigorous training programme before they are sent out
'into the field' to clean your bricks and follow continued professional
development courses as new methods, materials and equipment are developed.
Stress Free Brick Cleaning Services
We will provide everything required to minimise disruption and
inconvenience to your daily routine, including 'out-of-hours' working where
necessary. We carry out a full risk assessment and ensure that the project
conforms to Health and Safety regulations.
