Cleaning brick should only be executed by a qualified Brick Cleaner who holds a Working at Heights certification and follows The Standards & Guidelines for the Conservation Of Historic Places In Canada, the Canadian Benchmark for historic conservation.
The are three essential components to cleaning historic brick. Specialty Historic brick detergent, Low pressure steam, and prep work.
- There is no beating around the bush, to clean hydrocarbons (black stains) from brick while maintaining its integrity an acid-based solution must be used. Any detergent used must be compliant and have a valid and current safety data Sheet (SDS).
- Low-pressure steam is essential. The steam allows the brick cleaner to significantly reduce their pressure while still producing the desired effect. Steam cleaners such as Easy Kleen, DOFF, Daimer, Hotsy all aid in brick cleaning and aid in the removal of other debris on the bricks such as paint, caulking, tar, etc.
- With the use of acid-based detergents, prep work is the most important component. Windows, doors, and foliage must be covered to avoid damage. It should also be mentioned that small flakes of paint should be anticipated because getting into corners and edges with such high heat can flake paint.
There are several components to brick cleaning however approved detergents, low-pressure steam, and prep work should be the baseline for qualifying a reputable brick cleaner.
