[Status Check]

Hi,
Got a customer with a lovely victorian house. I clean her windows and pressure wash her drive regularly, she has asked if I could clean her walls using my pressure washer which is a Honda GX390.  I have done a test patch and it does come up well but I feel that this PW is not the best machine to use for this job. Just seems to be a bit harsh if you know what I mean.
What do you guys use? Was thinking of hiring a Doff or Thermatech but fear that it would take weeks to complete?

[chris scott]

Do you have a picture of the house?

[chris scott]

Hydrofluoric acid . Not too strong else you will burn the brick.

[Status Check]

Mmmmmm....just googled it. Sounds like scary stuff! :-) Is this different to ordinary brick acid?

[chris scott]

Two different acids

Hydrofluoric acid    (The one you need for that job)   You should also buy calcium gluconate cream.

Hydrochloric acid    (Brick acid)

[Status Check]

Hello Chris,
Thanks for the info. I think it's beyond my remit at the moment. Just out of interest what would you charge just to clean the front facade?

[Smudger]

Picture would be good

Are they Suffolk yellows? Or  a red  brick ?

Is it organic matter your removing or  black carbon from traffic ?

Hot is defo required but if you have a pic I can give you some idea of what you need

Darran

[Smudger]

Nice house

I suggest you hire yourself a hot pressure washer one that can get to 120 degrees - use a 15 degree nozzle - this will clean the majority of the red brick no problem at all.  for the darker areas and the sandstone with carborization I use Tensid heavy duty restoration chemical use as directed then steam and you'll have lovely brickwork.

I can't find my before and afters of some of our more challenging work but below is a oiccy of ivy removal just using steam

use this technique and you won't damage the bricks or mortar

[Splash & dash]

Nice house

I suggest you hire yourself a hot pressure washer one that can get to 120 degrees - use a 15 degree nozzle - this will clean the majority of the red brick no problem at all.  for the darker areas and the sandstone with carborization I use Tensid heavy duty restoration chemical use as directed then steam and you'll have lovely brickwork.

I can't find my before and afters of some of our more challenging work but below is a oiccy of ivy removal just using steam

use this technique and you won't damage the bricks or mortar

Nice job looks very good customer must be delighted with that ,out of intrest how long did it take ?

[Smudger]

Over the moon with it

we had a landscape company cut it down ( I hate doing that part of the job ) as it was very thick

the actual cleaning as you see it there was 5 hours for a single man - we used a small spider lift for the job - the ivy was also around the corner top to bottom for about 6 feet

Darran

[Status Check]

Hello Darren,
Thanks for the advice. It sounds a lot safer than using the chemicals mentioned earlier in this thread. Great job on removing the Ivy. Looks fantastic.

[Smudger]

no worries

email me if you have any questions

Darran

[Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk]

I know this is an old thread but just to point out that Hydrofluoric Acid should not be used by anyone other than a competent operator.

My opinion - to suggest, on a public forum that someone asking the question what to use and it is suggested to use HF is completely wrong.

This stuff penetrates the skin and then 'eats' the calcium in bones. You may have no obvious skin break and no obvious external issues.

It doesn't stop when it hits bone it carries on munching away till the limb affected is useless.

As 'experienced operators' giving 'advice' to relative newbies we have a duty to not offer 'stupid and dangerous' opinion.

Amended - It also causes some of the nastiest skin burns I've ever seen.

http://www.emdocs.net/hydrofluoric-acid-burn-keeps-burning/

This stuff can kill you and is far worse than any other acid that could be used.

[Yada Yada Yada - www.m-clean.uk]

More -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrofluoric_acid

Christopher - think before you advise!!

[Aqua Power Solutions]

Called out to a council job to make the brickies look good at pointing on four of these out buildings

[timglaze]

Can I ask what your process was cleaning the mortar please?