Historic Brick Cleaning is the process of removing black staining (hydrocarbons) as seen in the photos from the brickwork.
Canada has a document called The Canadian Historic Places that outlines standards and guidelines for all historical conservation work done on sites across Canada. At Brickwash we adhere to these guidelines
Bricks are not manufactured to look weathered, dull or darkened black. Although some bricks are black, the majority of black brick homes are just extreme cases of Hydrocarbon exterior brick staining. The historic brick cleaning goal is to restore the bricks to their original color and slow down the deterioration in a non-invasive manner.
The reason your bricks might be dull or darkened is due to hydrocarbon exterior brick staining. Hydrocarbon brick staining is caused by pollutants in the air being deposited onto the bricks. These stains can inhibit a brick’s ability to breathe which causes bricks to disintegrate over time. Moreover, hydrocarbon stains darken the color of the brick making it look weathered and unpleasant.
Removal of hydrocarbons from brick requires corrosive detergents. Protective measures are vital to protecting your property and neighbors. Covering of windows and doors, foliage etc are all steps we take to ensure a safe and clean brick cleaning experience.
Historic brick demands additional care. Simply pressure washing brick with high pressure or abrasive blasting like sand or soda blasting should never be used to clean historic brick, or any brick for that matter. To clean historic brick low pressure and detergent should always be used by a trained brick cleaner in Toronto to ensure no damage becomes to the brick.
At Brickwash we use detergent-assisted low-pressure steam. Steam cleaning brick allows us to reduce water pressure and clean exterior brick stain and paint with a higher level of effectiveness and reduced risk. Our historic brick cleaning methods are in line with Canadian Conservation Standards and Guidelines
We cover all windows, doors, shrubbery and metalic objects. For specialty cases like brick cleaning around copper or brass, we have a special prep protocal to reduce the risk of damage.
All cleaning is done with low pressure steam and brick detergent. Detergent is always brushed and never sprayed. When we wash we maintain a special pattern to produce an amazing result
Our goal is to make your property look amazing. A proper cleanup is always conducted at the end of each job or project.
