Methods and means for processing bricks. Cleaning brickwork Washing mortar from brick

According to the project from the TvoyDomStroyService company from the Vologda region, then you have nothing to worry about, you do not have to clean the brick from the mortar, but if such a problem is foreseen, then we advise you to read this article.

Builders, you know better than anyone that after the construction of a brick box, the walls do not have a completely finished look. This is due to the fact that when laying on clean bricks, cement mortar remains, which spoils the overall picture. Another case is if you want to build something using already used bricks. They will also be in cakes of cement. Whatever situation you are faced with, you will have to solve the same task - to clean the brick from the mortar.

Is it possible to do this? Yes, and in this article we will tell you how to do it quickly and efficiently. The following will describe several methods for cleaning bricks that you can choose for yourself.

The good news is that there are several ways to clean bricks from excess mortar. After all, if there is something to choose from, then the task can be performed better. Moreover, bricks are different and differ in hardness, size and type of surface. In addition, the degree of contamination also affects the choice of method. All cleaning methods can be divided into two groups:

• Mechanical removal of mass.
• Chemical removal of mass.

Their name already says how the work will be done. The mechanical method boils down to using physical force, as well as improvised tools such as a hammer, chisel, trowel, etc. However, this method can not always be used. There is a risk of damaging the bricks if they are not hard enough. Therefore, they often resort to the second method - the use of special chemicals to remove contaminants. These solvents are based on the following acids: phosphoric, sulfuric and hydrochloric. The chemical method cannot be used to clean white silicate bricks.

Under the influence of aggressive acids, it will collapse. In the old days, it was cleaned in the simplest way - by rubbing bricks one against the other. Let's take a closer look at how to clean a brick from mortar, using one or another cleaning method for different types of bricks.

Mechanical brick cleaning

In order to cope with the task mechanically, you need to know some rules. So, you can get rid of contaminants quickly, efficiently and without damage to the material. For example, it is impossible to clean ceramic and silicate bricks in the same way, because cement mortar is much stronger on silicate bricks. So, before you clean the facing brick from the mortar, you should stock up on the following tools:

• construction spatula, metal brush or trowel;
• hammer, chisel and chisel;
• sandpaper;
• construction hammer;
• gloves, respirator and goggles.

The first step is to soften the solution so that it becomes more pliable and easier to move away from the material. To do this, pour water on the wall or bricks until the water is no longer absorbed. Such a wash of the mortar from the brick will help get rid of particles that are easy to stick to. Now determine the nature of the contamination: if the cement stains are flat and not voluminous, then use a trowel, spatula or metal brush. Your goal is to carefully remove the excess solution mechanically. It is convenient to pry the solution with a spatula and quickly remove it. A metal brush will help to complete the work. With it, you remove the remnants of the solution left after working with a trowel or spatula. Finally, wash the bricks thoroughly again, removing all excess.

As for large dried pieces, they must be knocked down with a hammer and chisel. Here you need to work carefully, because there is a high probability of damaging the brick. Do not strike perpendicular to the bricks. Work parallel to them so that the blows are directed either up or down. For convenience, instead of a chisel, you can use a chisel.

Its small angle of sharpening and uneven sides will provide convenience in the performance of work. Some "masters" advise removing cement with nails. This is not correct, since with a conical working part you will leave marks, indentations and scratches on the bricks, which will affect the appearance. When your goal is to clean up used materials that have been in use, then there is nothing better for you than a construction hammer that looks like a pickaxe. It is easy for them to knock down hardened pieces of cement. Once all large particles have been removed, it remains to treat the surface with sandpaper. On this, the mechanical processing of red brick ends.

We clean silicate brick

Cleaning sand-lime brick requires more effort, attention and perseverance. For work you will need:

• sandpaper;
• drill with a grinding nozzle;
• metal brush;
• respirator and goggles.

As in the first case, moisten the cement and try to tear it off with a metal brush. When using a drill, work very carefully so as not to damage the surface of the brick and not leave notches (it is better to use a drill for removing large pieces). Be sure to wear a respirator and goggles to protect your respiratory organs and eyes. Clean the treated surface with sandpaper and moisten with water. Using a chisel and a hammer is highly discouraged, because you can damage the material.

Chemical cleaning of bricks

We repeat that this method can only be used for ceramic bricks, silicate products cannot be chemically attacked! The principle of operation is quite simple: you need to apply a brick cleaner from mortar, which will fight pollution. To get started, you must buy this tool. In specialized stores there is a huge assortment, so you should not have problems with the choice. You can ask the store staff for advice. They can recommend a quality product. The main thing is to read the instructions and choose a cleaner that will match the type of surface. This will prevent possible damage to the material.

Basically, all products are made on the basis of acids. Only the conditions for the use of one or another means can be different. For example, some of them need to be applied to a dry surface, others to a wet or completely wetted surface. Information on the consistency and exposure time will be specified on the packaging. The main advantage of the method is that you save your energy, and the cleaning process is greatly accelerated.

If you don't want to buy from the store, you can make your own. You will need a solution of hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. Dilute it with water, in a ratio of 1:10. Mix thoroughly. Before you wash the brick from the mortar, it must be moistened. Then apply the solution with a cloth, brush or roller. After 10-15 minutes, rinse everything with water. Any small stains of the solution will be removed. When you need to remove massive pieces, the procedure is the same, but the exposure time is increased to 20–30 minutes. Remove the softened solution with a tool (trowel, trowel, chisel) and rinse everything with running water. Since this is an acid, it is important to take precautions. Be sure to wear gloves and goggles!

You need to clean used products in a different way: put them in a cast-iron bath, fill them with an acid solution and boil on fire until the cement is completely dissolved. Finally, rinse thoroughly with water.

It is worth noting that chemical cleaning with solvents has one drawback - sometimes white marks and smudges may appear on the surface after work. But, this is not a problem, as you can easily get rid of them. You can purchase facade cleaners and remove dirt. As for cleaning with store mixes, the instructions are quite simple:

• Dilute the concentrate according to the instructions on the packaging.
• Apply the prepared solution to the surface.
• Wait for the time indicated in the instructions.
• Remove excess solution residue with water.

In this case, be sure to use protective equipment! At this stage, everything is almost ready. You just have to bring everything to mind. Cleaned bricks must be coated with a water repellent. It will endow the material with the property of repelling water, thereby protecting it from contact with water. This step is not required.

As you can see, you can get rid of the mortar on the bricks, and you can choose several ways. If you follow the instructions and do everything right, the result will not be long in coming.

Or another structure is used brickwork. The building, built of brick, looks not only solid, but also quite attractive from an aesthetic point of view. The fact is that when ordering a project, the owner of the future home can experiment not only with the external appearance of the building, but also with the color scheme of the brick. Most often you can find mansions built of red brick, and it is used everywhere, since this material has such characteristics as resistance to external influences, strength and incombustibility, so the brick is perfect for building stoves and fireplaces. At the same time, brick buildings in some cases do not require absolutely no external finishing.

Often, after the completion of construction work, the brickwork remains in a very unsightly state. Traces of mortar, dirt and dust leave ugly stains and streaks on the brick wall. Ultimately, this becomes a major problem for the owner of the building, as unsympathetic stains on the brick leave a feeling of unfinished construction and untidy appearance.

There are many ways to clean a brick from mortar. Experts identify three main methods for cleaning brickwork from traces of mortar:

• mechanical cleaning with a stiff brush, which allows you to remove the remains of cement and dirt from the brick;
• washing with water;
• special cleaning of brickwork using various pastes.

However, no matter how good these methods are, it is worth paying attention to each of them separately, since they are not always acceptable in different situations.

mechanical cleaning

Mechanical cleaning of bricks is good only when it comes to building masonry bricks, as it is strong enough and will not be damaged even by the most radical cleaning methods.

As for facing bricks, care should be taken here, as it is quite fragile and intensive cleaning can simply destroy it.

The use of an aqueous solution also carries several dangers. Sometimes a greenish coating of mold appears on the brick from dampness, which is easily washed off with water from a hose. However, after a while, the owner of the house will be surprised to find that the stains not only have not disappeared, but are getting bigger.

Moisture is an ideal environment for fungus, and with abundant wet cleaning, mold gets into microcracks in brickwork with water, so experts recommend using an antiseptic solution, which can be purchased at any hardware store.

Application of special pastes

Brick cleaning with pastes is the most versatile means of cleaning the material from traces of cement mortar, since it contains not only ingredients that help quickly dissolve dirt, but also abrasive substances that will help completely remove all excess from the wall surface. The paste itself is easily removed with ordinary water, so the cleaning process does not take much time.

Traces of paint, tar, fuel oil and other oil products can be easily removed with any organic solvent, and traces of soot from the fireplace are cleaned with ordinary soapy water.

It is worth noting that it is sometimes much easier to prevent various types of pollution than to spend a long time cleaning them, so do not neglect preventive measures and then your house will sparkle with all colors, embodying the solidity and excellent taste of its owner.

Video

After the construction work, it is necessary to clean the brick. This procedure is necessary if we are talking about finishing a brick wall with a facing material or it is not supposed to be decorated in the future. So that the cleaning procedure does not harm and brings a positive result, it is important to know the rules for removing a particular material.

What are the cleaning methods?

Sometimes, after construction work, brickwork must be cleaned of paint, plaster or concrete residues removed from it. There are several types of cleaning that allow you to wipe dirt from the structure:

• mechanical - cleaning of silicate brick;
• flushing with water;
• the use of special solutions.

To clean a brick wall from foreign material, you need to prepare tools such as:

• metal scraper, brush, spatula, chisel;
• bucket;
• drill with interchangeable nozzles;
• gauze mask or respirator;
• gloves.

From white plaque

To effectively clean the facing brick with a special liquid, you must follow all the instructions specified by the manufacturer.

Salts that contain cement mortar penetrate the surface of the brick, and provoke the appearance of a white coating on the masonry. It occurs after heavy rainfall. A similar phenomenon is dangerous because it can destroy the top layer of materials: cracks and chips appear. You can wash the brick facade from this plaque with a special blasting - a highly concentrated substance that is diluted with water, observing a ratio of 1:10. After that, they act according to the following algorithm:

1. Apply the liquid to the red brick with a brush.
2. Leave for 20-30 minutes to absorb.
3. Wash off with clean water. Such cleaning of brick walls from efflorescence is considered the most effective.

Cleaning bricks from grout

To wash off contaminated places from facing bricks without difficulty, it is better to do this on the first day. Then, to remove, the wall is moistened, and the residues are removed with a spatula. Cleaning the facade in this way is quick and without harm to the material. If the grout on the surface of the decorative brick is eaten, act according to the following scheme:

1. A special blasting is selected and bred according to the instructions.
2. Apply to the surface and leave for the required time.
3. Remove the residue with a spatula.

From plaster

A popular method of decorating brickwork is applying plaster. However, such a coating needs to be updated over time, and the old material must be completely removed before cleaning. You can properly clean the walls as follows:

1. Remove all furnishings from the room.
2. Close doors and windows tightly to prevent dust from entering other rooms.
3. With a chisel and hammer, clean the brick from cement.
4. Wipe the surface from dust.
5. Apply a special varnish.

After completing the work, it is necessary to wash the facing brick from dust residues. The washing procedure must be performed in the direction from the upper corner. There is also a special cleaner to clean the wall from plaster, but it lasts longer and does not guarantee complete disposal of material residues. On the surface of the masonry material, it is also possible to lay decorative, volumetric plaster containing gypsum.

From cement

After completion of construction work, it is necessary to clean the brick facade from the remnants of the cement-sand mixture. To choose how to clean the masonry, you need to pay attention to the degree of contamination of the structure. Brick cleaning from mortar is best done in the first 24 hours after contamination. There are two ways to clean a building:

• mechanical option. It involves surface treatment with a metal brush or chisel.
• Chemical way. A brick cleaner is used, which includes hydrochloric or phosphoric acid. Silicate brick can not be cleaned like that.

Clinker bricks cannot be cleaned by hand, as their structure is not particularly strong and can easily collapse.

Cleanliness is important not only in everyday cleaning, but also in the care of building structures. Even the most durable brick will last longer and will delight people if it is properly cleaned. And in many cases, restoring elementary order only allows you to reuse ceramic blocks.

Cleaning methods

Various options for cleaning bricks have been developed, each of which has its own scope. Sometimes, if the pollution is very strong, it is necessary to combine two or more methods. The water jet supplied under pressure effectively removes salt crusts and other stains. Existing systems can supply water at a pressure of 15-220 bar. Although this pressure is high, the technology has been developed so that the material is not damaged, in addition, it is environmentally friendly.

Instead of water, jets of sand can also be used. Apparatuses that supply it can guarantee the release of bricks from the following contaminants:

• old dyes;
• bitumen;
• fuel oil and other oil products;
• mold spots;
• cement splashes and crusts;
• traces of corrosion.

Sand fed under significant pressure also exerts increased pressure on the surface. This helps to remove all inclusions that worsen the appearance of the wall or other structure. Along with the two named options, the mechanical technique is quite widely used. It helps to remove all hardened substances, including streaks of building mixtures, paints and varnishes. For work, various hand tools are used to chip off cement mortar and other blockages.

But it is inconvenient to remove very small dirt with a chisel, chisel, and so on. In addition, they can damage the surface. Therefore, the final processing is carried out using coarse-grained emery. To guarantee a positive result, it is necessary to rinse the brick with a hose stream after abrasive treatment. This will wash away all the dust particles. But all mechanical influences, even the most gentle ones, can damage a brick wall. Therefore, chemicals are also widely used. To help dissolve blockages:

• phosphoric;
• sulfuric;
• hydrochloric acid.

They are used only in the processing of ceramic bricks. But silicate blocks cannot be cleaned in this way. It will inevitably be damaged. The cement adheres very strongly to the silicate base. It is very difficult to remove traces of mortar and excess mass from it with hand tools, it is necessary to use electric machines.

Facilities

When one or another option for cleaning bricks is chosen, special tools must be prepared.

If you plan to use a mechanical method to clean the surface of the masonry layer, you need to prepare:

• brush for metal processing;
• trowel (sometimes replaced with a spatula);
• a bar covered with emery;
• chisel;
• chisel;
• medium sized hammer.

In addition to mechanical cleaners, you must keep a container of water ready. It allows you to reduce the strength of dried stains. Inside the house, the wall is moistened with rollers, brushes or sponges. If the work is carried out on the street, and the pollution is very large, it is more practical to use a hose. At the same time, excessive moisture should be avoided, since the brick is destroyed by contact with the liquid.

But since any hand and electric tool creates dust during operation, emits abrasive particles, you need to take care of devices to protect your health. It is possible to work with such a tool only in a respirator and special glasses. Important: gloves must be worn. Clothing when cleaning bricks must be durable, non-marking; if she gets dirty, she should not be sorry. If you plan to use special chemicals, you definitely need the same respirators, goggles and rubber gloves.

To remove dirt from silicate brick mechanically, apply:

• steel brushes;
• electric drills and attachments for them;
• emery.

In any case, it is necessary to wet stains and raids on silicate material. This will greatly simplify the work. Solvents are bought ready-made or prepared independently - it depends on material capabilities and skills. In most cases, sulfuric and hydrochloric acid helps to clean the surface. Important: they cannot be used in pure form and in concentrated solutions; dilution up to 10% is required.

Chemical cleaning is completed by washing the surface with running water. This will remove caustic substances along with undissolved particles. Special preparations are applied to contaminated areas of brick with brushes, rollers or brushes. It is recommended to combine chemical and mechanical cleaning. Blockages softened by chemicals are removed with spatulas and chisels (if the stains are large), or with steel brushes (when small marks and dots, specks need to be removed).

How to clean various types of pollution with your own hands?

The choice of cleaning method is determined not only by the type of brick (ceramic or silicate), and not only by the severity of contamination. You also need to pay attention to what area the blockage covers, how quickly you should get rid of it. Emergency cleaning of bricks is carried out with special preparations. If there is no need to rush, more environmentally friendly methods are preferred. Already among them choose an approach, focusing on the type of coverage.

Immediately after masonry, the walls have to be cleaned of cement. First of all, the dirt is softened by wetting with water. This will make the stone more brittle, helping to tear it away from the base material. Watering is continued as long as the water continues to be absorbed. If it is still absorbed, it means that the margin of safety of the stain has not yet been exhausted.

Next, the solution is removed mechanically. If concrete stains are flat, they are usually removed with spatulas, trowels or brushes of increased rigidity. If there are stone fragments on the surface, they are beaten off a little with a spatula. What remains is brushed off. But large inclusions will be removed only by a chisel and a hammer; other tools are impractical. When working, it is necessary to strike accurately and without excessive effort. Hits at right angles are strictly unacceptable. The pressure on the contaminated areas should be up or down relative to the wall. When the unnecessary coating is mostly removed, the brick wall will have to be sanded. But the work does not end there - you still need to wash the surface, thereby getting rid of microscopic particles.

If the wall has stood for a long time, you often have to get rid of the salt. The approach to raids can vary significantly depending on their nature. Part of the salt stains are simply washed off by watering the facade or individual bricks with a hose. Sometimes you don’t even need to create a strong pressure, just wetting is enough. But in other cases, stronger means are required - special preparations and a stiff brush.

Important: reagents sold in stores can only handle strictly defined types of mineral salts.

To return the appearance of the old brick to normal, you will either have to proceed by trial and error, or be guided by the recommendations of the sellers. They need to describe in detail the type of spots, layers (or better - show photos). When diluting any preparation, it is unacceptable to deviate from the ratios of water and working mixture prescribed by the instruction; The recommended processing time must also not be exceeded.

From improvised chemicals to combat salt blockages, a solution of hydrochloric acid is used. Only a thoroughly moistened substrate can be wetted with it. When 10 minutes have passed, the wall is washed with a hose. Once the surface is 100% dry, it must be treated with a hydrophobic agent. If everything is done correctly, no new salt spots will appear on the surface in the next 10 years.

Brick walls on the street are often covered with dried clay. This type of pollution is considered easy to clean. Even if the clay covers a significant part of the surface, you can get rid of it simply by wetting the contaminated areas. After 5-7 minutes, you can knock down the dirt with a jet from a hose. Large clay fragments located in easily accessible places are removed with a brush, after which the problem area is washed. But a brick can become clogged not only with clay - often paint of various types gets on it. With any building paints, as well as with resin and bitumen, they help to cope:

• kerosene;
• White Spirit;
• turpentine.

Brick processing can have different goals, for example: cleaning from dirt or impregnation to give the material new qualities. Below we consider the main options for processing this building material.

Removal of contaminants

Most often, the brick is processed in order to clean it from traces of dirt and construction dust. Due to its high porosity, brick is easily soiled, so to keep the attractive appearance of the material, it needs to be cleaned occasionally. In addition to mortar residues, a variety of types of contaminants may appear on the brick, including paint, dirt, bitumen, fuel oil, lime, soot, and rust.

Often the brick is covered with mold or there are traces of efflorescence on it. It will take a lot of time and effort to remove pollution, since cleaning bricks is a very laborious job.

In practice, usually the issue of cleaning the material appears after the construction of brick walls from ordinary or facing bricks. It is also often necessary to clean the old brick from the solution, which they decided to reuse. The specific method of cleaning the material is selected based on the type of contamination.

The following types of cleaning are commonly used in the construction industry:

• washing with high pressure water jet;
• sandblasting technique;
• mechanical cleaning with a tool or manually (hammer, sandpaper, chisel, brush with stiff bristles, perforator);
• the use of a special cleaning fluid, which can be either purchased ready-made or made on its own.

Below we will look at each method separately.

Water jet cleaning

High-pressure water jet (15-220 bar) removes, first of all, efflorescence. Despite this pressure, the cleaning is very gentle, without damaging the material. In addition, the method is environmentally friendly.

Sandblasting method

Cleaning is carried out using special equipment and under high pressure. During the process, the brick is treated with sand or other abrasive substance.

The purpose of sandblasting is to remove foreign materials and prepare the surface for the application of various coatings. The brick is treated with sand before puttying or painting. Thanks to sandblasting, bricks can be cleaned of old paint, bitumen, fuel oil, plaster, soot and all kinds of substances containing dyes. The result is a clean surface suitable for further processing.

The tasks of sandblasting and finishing are not the same as in the case of surface preparation. The difference is that this technique involves improving the appearance of the product and improving its performance, and not just preparation for coating.

To confidently own sandblasting equipment, you will need a certain qualification. Therefore, the cost of such work is quite high.

Cleaning by hand or mechanically

Typically, the method is used to remove solution residues or other solid foreign matter from the surface of the material. The main tools for cleaning are a drill, sandpaper, puncher, jackhammer, brush with hard bristles, chisel, hammer.

When carrying out work, you need to take care of your own safety, so you will need goggles, a respirator, rubber gloves.

Red brick is cleaned only by hand. To do this, you need to break off pieces of the solution with a hammer and chisel. After removing large pieces, the crayons are cleaned with coarse-grained sandpaper.

Sand-lime brick is stronger, so it can be cleaned using a technique such as a perforator or jackhammer. Then, as in the case of red brick, sanding is carried out. The process is completed by soaking the material in water to finally wash off the remaining solution. During soaking, you can additionally use a brush with stiff bristles. Before use, the brick must be dried.

Chemical cleaning

Based on the type of pollution, a certain chemical composition is used, which can either be purchased or made independently. Also, in the course of work, a tool is used, as in mechanical cleaning.

You can remove the cement mortar as follows:

You can get rid of other contaminants like this:

1. Efflorescence will be less likely if the brick is well dried, there is waterproofing, sewage outlets.
2. During laying, work should be carried out carefully to avoid excessive contamination of the material. This will require additional effort, but will further reduce the need for cleaning brick walls.
3. When cleaning bricks, one must not forget about the technological nuances, otherwise the material may be damaged.
4. When working with facing bricks or stone, a dry sponge should be used to avoid damaging the surface.
5. To remove traces of soot on facing bricks, it is recommended to use specialized pastes and household chemicals.

Brick impregnation

The impregnation process is called hydrophobization. The technique can be partially attributed to cleaning methods, since efflorescence is thus removed.

However, the main purpose of hydrophobization is to give the material (stone, brick, concrete, ceramics, etc.) protective water-repellent properties and resistance to low temperatures. When hydrophobizing, a special impregnation for bricks is used. As a result, the material interacts differently with moisture.

Silicon is most often the key constituent of the water repellant, although other bases may be used. An example is Kristallizol, one liter of which is enough to process 150 square meters of surface.

The drug allows not only to increase the frost resistance of the material, but also increases its strength by about a quarter. The agent is often used to protect surfaces in rooms with high humidity (for example, baths and saunas). The drug allows you to block the ingress of moisture into the structure of the coating, and also prevents the appearance of microorganisms, including fungi.

Another important quality of Kristallizol, like any other good impregnation, is that the drug prevents the accumulation of dirt on the surface of the material, which makes it possible to achieve a greater decorative effect. And, finally, the use of impregnation makes it possible to reduce the consumption of the finishing coating (for example, paint).

A good water repellent has a number of qualities:

• no visible film after treatment with the drug;
• environmental friendliness;
• fire safety;
• neutrality to the existing vapor barrier;
• durability.

Before use, "Kristallizol" is diluted in water in a ratio of 1 to 30. Then the solution is applied in an even layer on a dry and clean brick. For a brick, one layer is enough. More layers are needed only for concrete pavements.

Processing bricks in order to clean them or improve their properties will significantly extend the life of the masonry and improve the decorative qualities of the material. At the same time, one should not forget about the timely care of the masonry and periodically clean it from emerging contaminants.