A Beginner’s Guide to Masonry Cleaning

As a homeowner, you want your masonry to look its best. Let us help you out with this quick beginner’s guide to masonry cleaning.

Experts agree that brick sidewalks should be at least 3 feet wide for ease of use. This creates a beautiful path that is easy to use for multiple people.

If you have a brick sidewalk or other brick areas around your home, you need masonry cleaning. This is important since bricks can become very dirty and discolored.

To keep them in tip-top condition, masonry maintenance is important. This will keep the bricks looking like new and reduce their wear and tear.

Keep reading to find out more about masonry cleaning.

How to Clean Masonry in Your Home

No matter what kind of masonry you have, the cleaning process should be simple. Keep in mind that you may be able to hire cleaning services to handle this for you.

Some companies that offer masonry installation also offered cleaning. This is because cleaning is a big part of masonry maintenance and keeping it in good condition.

Here is the step-by-step process of cleaning masonry around your home:

Find the Right Cleaner

• The first thing you need to do is find the right cleaning products. You need to base your decision on the kind of bricks you have.
• Different kinds of bricks will react in a different way to cleaning products. If you choose the wrong product, you could permanently damage the masonry of your home.
• It is usually best to go with mild cleaning solutions. If they are too harsh or caustic, they could cause corrosion.
• You could also choose a DIY cleaning option instead. One example of this is using a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water.
• Some people also clean their masonry with cream of tartar or baking soda. Warm water and dish soap are also great options for simple and affordable cleaning.

Test the Area

• Before you begin cleaning, one of these cleaning tips is to test the area. Take a small amount of your cleaning solution, and apply it to one of the bricks.
• Walk away for 10 to 15 minutes to let that sit and activate. You want to make sure the brick does not react strangely to the solution.
• The area will become dark as the brick absorbs some moisture. That is perfectly normal and is a sign that the product is safe to use.
• If you are testing out a new cleaning product, this is a very important step. The last thing you want to do is apply your solution to all the bricks only to realize they react badly.

Remove Loose Dust and Debris

• You will want to take a vacuum or a broom to the masonry area. This helps to remove any dust, dirt, or other loose debris that is around.
• You do not want to get any of this wet sense that will make the cleaning process harder. This also ensures that you will not cause damage to the brakes when you clean them.
• If there is dirt or grime on them, this could be scrubbed into the bricks during the cleaning process. This could cause minor damage or scratches without you realizing it until it’s too late.

Scrub the Bricks

• The next thing you will want to do is saturate the bricks with water. This will make sure the cleaning product gets to every brick and you don’t have streaking.
• Once the brakes are saturated, start to apply your cleaning product. If you are using a store-bought product, make sure you follow the instructions carefully.
• If you are using a homemade solution, apply the product to each individual brick. Depending on the surface, you may need different cleaning tools.
• Most of the time a soft brush or a large sponge will do the job. Stay away from anything that is too abrasive, as this could cause damage to the bricks.
• If the masonry is very dirty, you may want to do this process a few times. You may need to rinse the bricks off and reapply the solution until they appear clean.

Rinse the Bricks

• When you have finished cleaning the bricks, use a hose or bucket to rinse them off. It is important that all of the product is entirely rinsed off so there isn’t any residue.
• Residue can build up and remove the luster, creating an uneven appearance. Residue also attracts more debris, creating a mess soon after you have cleaned the area.
• Try to do this on a warm day when the water will dry faster. This is much better than having the water sitting on the bricks for several hours.
• If it is a relatively cold day, you could always take a soft towel and dry off the bricks yourself.

How Often Should Masonry Be Cleaned?

The good news for homeowners is that masonry cleaning doesn’t need to be done all the time. Using these cleaning tips, you only need to do this a few times a year.

The basic brick cleaning tip to follow is to only clean them when they appear dirty. If they look like they are still clean, there is no reason to go to the effort.

Masonry Cleaning: Everything You Need to Know

If you have masonry in your home, you probably need to focus on masonry cleaning. Masonry maintenance helps to keep these bricks looking like new for many years.

If you don’t want to attempt this yourself, you could always hire masonry cleaning services.

Are you interested in having masonry added to your home? Contact us today at Heron Stone Masonry LLC to get a quote for your masonry project.