Baltimore is city that is fraught with history. We were one of the first port cities in America and we are remain the proud home of the Baltimore Inner Harbor. Charm City still lives up to its name with lovely historic areas such as Mt. Vernon, Federal Hill, and Fells Point. Many of the buildings are made of brick and that brick can crumble if not properly cared for. We must care for it because it is part of our history and that history is irreplaceable. We can, however restore it. (more…)
Archive for the ‘ Masonry Restoration ’ Category
The Importance of Restoring Vintage Masonry
Friday, March 27th, 2015Importance of Professional Masonry Restoration
Monday, March 16th, 2015
Stone and brick masonry provide for long lasting, structurally sound, and impressive architecture. However, as long lasting as masonry may be, older masonry structures may still need masonry restoration for a number of reasons. The original mortar holding the masonry together may not have been well made, acid rain may have taken a toll, physical weathering, or freak accidents can all damage masonry enough to require masonry restoration. If you own or operate a historic or otherwise venerable masonry structure it’s important that you get professional masonry restoration for your property. Professional masonry restoration can return structural stability, revive your masonries appearance, and protect the historic quality of the structure. Poorly done restoration may devalue the structure, or worse, cause more damage. (more…)
The Do’s and Don’ts of How to Properly Clean Masonry
Monday, February 9th, 2015
It’s important when cleaning masonry that you take the time to do it right, otherwise, you might end up permanently altering it’s appearance for the worse, or damaging your masonry. To help, Del Prete Masonry’s written a helpful guide of Do’s and Don’ts to remind you how to properly clean masonry.
Do Use Masonry Cleaners from Masonry Specialty Companies
Masonry companies will sell the proper chemical mixture compositions for cleaning masonry. These chemicals have been specially formulated to be effective over a large area, and produce uniform results over the masonry surface. More importantly, by getting the cleaner from a masonry specialty company, like Del Prete Masonry, you get the know how on how to apply the chemicals, not some guess work from a big box retail sales person who’s training was fifteen minutes watching a computer video.
Don’t use Muriatic Acid or Sandblasting
A mistake that is sometimes made by people who don’t know any better is to use the same methods to clean their Brick masonry as they would concrete, or stone. Muriatic acid or sandblasting can both etch and damage the brick and mortar, or irreversibly change its appearance.
Do Tests Before You Clean
Before you start cleaning your entire wall, it’s best to start by testing the cleaning product, on different stains on different brick colors and in different places. Because the cleaning chemicals and stains can be highly individual, what might work for one stain on one color of brick might not work on a different stain or with a different color of brick.
Don’t Test in a Conspicuous Place
It’s good that you’re testing, but you should also make sure your test is in as inconspicuous an area as possible. You should also make sure you rinse the test and give it time to dry, before deciding whether it’s good or not.
Do Prewet Surfaces and Apply With Low Pressure Spray
Applying clean water to the masonry before you apply the chemicals is a must for the chemical to soak into the brick and stains. When applying the chemicals starting at the top and moving down the wall with a low pressure spray, make sure you wet in advance of the spray.
Don’t Apply with High Pressure or Without Prewetting
High pressure sprayers will push the cleaner too deeply into the block where it cannot be rinsed out. If it cannot be rinsed out, it will result in masonry staining.
Finally, Do make sure you Rinse Thoroughly
It is essentially when rinsing that you wash off all of the cleaning chemicals. This means the chemicals that have soaked into the brick as well, for this purpose you should use a high power pressure washer. If it’s interior work, use an abundance of clean water, a sponge, or a toothbrush to finish off your cleaning.
Have Anymore Masonry Cleaning or Restoration Questions?
For other questions regarding masonry cleaning or restoration, feel free to contact Delprete Mansonry. Our masonry restoration professionals have the experience and history of satisfied clients to prove that we’ll get the job done right, and cost-effectively. To get started with your masonry restoration project, please contact our office today at 410-683-0650 or email us at mike@delpretemasonry.com. We serve Baltimore City, County, Harford County, Carroll County, Anne Arundel County, and Howard County. Keep up with our blog for masonry related information, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.