Masonry Magazine September 2008 Page. 26
CLEANERS AND SEALANTS
To be effective, the cleaning must be done within three to seven days of construction for best results.
Kotke says to test cleaner samples to determine product suitability, dilution rates, and dwell times for the particular product. "Too many times, contactors will forego doing the test samples and find out that its taking two applications of a product to achieve the results necessary for a successful project and they bid it with one application, or they had to switch to a different product," he says. "The same can be said for water repellents. The porosity of the surface and the type of brick, block, concrete or stone usually will dictate the type of water repellent product would be best suited, whether it is a silane, siloxane, silicone polymer, or acrylic types of product."
Often, the dyes used on newer manufactured products don't penetrate far below the surface. This presents a problem when using a pressure washer at clean-up, since the water flow can remove the color the architect and owner spent so much effort to obtain. And, because the dyes used on some veneers are water based, they don't adhere well, even to the surface. A pressure washer might take off more than the intended residue. So, most contractors turn to acid washes, which are not necessarily the best approach today.
A little history on using acids: "A long time ago, when all you had was red clay brick and grey mortar and before proprietary
Cleaning and Sealing Inside
Some contractors have a problem with post-construction cleaning of new substrates used on fireplaces, interior "stone" walls, and other inside applications. This can be especially tricky when the work is not in new construction but a remodeling job where the owner is living or working in the location, and carpeting, wood paneling, expensive décor and other amenities are in place. Discussing this challenge with Lynn Peden of EaCo Chem, Masonry received got the following suggestions.
"Our product can be used with a trigger sprayer and rinsed with one as well. This creates very little mess and is still effective because of the buffering that's in the formula. We don't rely on extensive rinsing to get the chemical out. In general, there is no problem if it isn't thoroughly rinsed with a pressure washer or even if the chemistry remains on the wall."
EaCo Chem has produced a short video, posted on their Web site at www.eacochem.com and the following tips come from it:
With a trigger sprayer or spray bottle, you're basically misting on a few ounces per square foot, and the total exposure is a few gallons. But even with this small amount of chemical and water being used, there are precautions to take in advance.
First, prepare the site by putting down plastic sheeting or drop cloths to catch any overspray. Have damp absorbent cloths available along with a scrapper and stone for cleaning up the edges.
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