we’re restoring a late Victorian (1910ish) redbrick house at the moment. The brickwork to the front has been badly water damaged and is slimy and covered in green algae in places. The builders, in an effort to clean this off before fixing the brickwork and pointing, have pressure washed an area. It doesn’t seem to have done any damage but the newly clean bricks are just the most awful bright tango orange. It’s totally removed all the period character. I’ve told them to stop the cleaning but now I’m stuck not knowning what to do? The bricks need to be cleaned but I can’t live with the horrible colour they will end up being. Is there a good way of restoring some character (aka dirtiness) to the bricks after cleaning?
- Thread starter Flipjango
- Start date
There are commercial products - no idea if they're any good though!
http://brickage.co.uk/
http://www.liquidweather.co.uk/
http://brickage.co.uk/
http://www.liquidweather.co.uk/
Feltwell
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I'd suggest laying off the pressure washer and going for a less intensive clean - stiff broom, a bucket with a little detergent in and a hosepipe - have an experiment with that.
Newly cleaned brickwork will dirty down & fade in again over time.
Newly cleaned brickwork will dirty down & fade in again over time.
88v8
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Yes, just imagine a whole new street of those bricks.
And big plate glass windows.
The Victorian houses that we now love were often a ghastly blot when built.
Cleaning... Jeyes Fluid, broom.
Ivor
And big plate glass windows.
The Victorian houses that we now love were often a ghastly blot when built.
Cleaning... Jeyes Fluid, broom.
Ivor
Its so surprising how awful they are under all the lovely dirt! Its a vey big house so there would be an awful lot of them too! I've asked the builders to stop with the pressure washer and they're going to continue with a brush and some mortar cleaner. Will try and dull down the already clean ones with some of the brick ageing solutions and if all else fails we'll be lime washing the house white!
plasticpigeon
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Mortar cleaner is a strong acid. This will also make the bricks look a completely different colour, and also make the surface very matt, I personally wouldn't recommend that either. I also don't like the idea of sloshing acid all overthe place especially if your pointing is lime. Any leadwork will get discoloured too.
I agree with you, I like bricks that look aged, but I wonder whether the cleaned area just looks bad to you because of the contrast with the rest. If it was all the cleaned colour perhaps it would look nice too. How about a picture, it is hard to know what the extent of the difference is without seeing the situation!
I agree with you, I like bricks that look aged, but I wonder whether the cleaned area just looks bad to you because of the contrast with the rest. If it was all the cleaned colour perhaps it would look nice too. How about a picture, it is hard to know what the extent of the difference is without seeing the situation!
Cubist
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I agree with the others who say do not use a pressure washer. These can create many, many more problems than they solve and can result in considerable damage to the bricks and the mortar.
Also, I seem to recall that professional restorers would mix products like soot in a water solution and paint this over the 'too-clean' bricks and mortar.
Also, I seem to recall that professional restorers would mix products like soot in a water solution and paint this over the 'too-clean' bricks and mortar.
Happy share photos, which you can see here https://photos.app.goo.gl/kq4F5huPMbvAvT9b6
The first one is the before, and the second and third are the after. You can see in the third picture the bay (which has been cleaned) against the rest of the house to the left which hasn't been cleaned. Theres quite a lot of efflorescence which I'm hoping is just the bricks drying our again after being pressure washed and that will brush off. I don't think it looks as bad in these pics as it does in real life though. They look SO new in when you're there which sits strangely in a 100 year old house.
The first one is the before, and the second and third are the after. You can see in the third picture the bay (which has been cleaned) against the rest of the house to the left which hasn't been cleaned. Theres quite a lot of efflorescence which I'm hoping is just the bricks drying our again after being pressure washed and that will brush off. I don't think it looks as bad in these pics as it does in real life though. They look SO new in when you're there which sits strangely in a 100 year old house.
Could anyone advise what to do about the efflorescence? The builder says it needs sealing, but I'm reluctant as we're aiming to keep the house as breathable as possible and it seems like sealing anything would be a bad idea. But maybe I'm misunderstanding what sealing means?
plasticpigeon
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That's interesting. I like the new colour but it is all personal preference! If you leave them they will age eventually. Looks like your house had tuck pointing which is quite unusual. I don't think sealing is a good idea. Can't the efflorecscence be brushed off? Failing that scrub with ater, or a very mild brick acid perhaps.
Craig89
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I also like the cleaned bricks. I love Victorian red brick houses. There does appear to be some remains of tuck pointing (original mortar coloured to match the brick then very thin straight bright lime mortar lines added after to give the impression of guaged brickwork)
Looks a nice house thats in need of some love, glad to hear its getting some
Looks a nice house thats in need of some love, glad to hear its getting some
plasticpigeon
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https://www.spab.org.uk/advice/tuck-pointing