cleaning dirty bricks

I'm about to repoint my house, and it seems a good time to clean the bricks as well. The house is perhaps 80 odd years old, standard looking bricks, with the accumulated grime of the best part of decades of South London grime on them. Unfortunately I seem to be getting conflicting advice on how to clean them.

My local equipment hire shop provided me with a high pressure water sprayer. This worked to a degree, taking some of the dirt off, but still leaves the bricks looking greyish (I'm assuming that they were once a more reddish/yellow colour?)

Other options have been suggested, but not sure which to go for. I'm told that professionals use sandblasting, but I gather that this is rather byond the capabilities of a competent amateur. I've also read warnings that this technique is to be avoided, as it can take up to a quarter inch off the bricks (since the house would originally have been a worker's cottage, I suspect that it might be constructed of cheaper, softer bricks).

I've also seen mention of acid. My builder recommended using an angle grinder with a suitable attachment. And yet another person suggested the bricks can easily be hand cleaned with either a wire brush, or a piece of carborundum stone

An additional question is also whether to waterproof the building with a silicone or fluorocarbon treatment once the cleaning is completed.

I'm also slightly concerned that if I do clean the bricks, I'll loose the 'protective patina' that will have build up over the years, but perhaps the waterproofing process will compensate for this?

Any advice much appreciated!

Regards,

Chris

Reply to
Chris
Loading thread data ...

Did you put any detergent in the bricks ? I have found that tesco toilet cleaner works wonders, especially if you use hot water as well, and is REAL cheep.

Rick

Reply to
Rick Dipper

As my kids would say I did a "derrrrrrrh"

Did you put any detergent in the cleaning water is what I ment to say

Rick

Reply to
Rick Dipper

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.