How To Maintain The Brickwork On Your Property

CONTENTS

• Brick repointing
  • Repairing water damage
• Inspect brickwork for signs of plants
• Avoid painting exteriors
• Professional brick cleaning solutions
  • TORIK system
• Similar services we offer
• We're here to help

According to Britannica, brick was first produced approximately 6,000 years ago. Due to its longevity, it is no surprise that it remains a popular solution for the foundation of homes.

Many different types of brick are used in construction nowadays, as evidenced by this information produced by Travis Perkins. However, they do require careful maintenance to keep them looking their best.

As a specialist brick cleaning company, we have years of experience delivering excellent results to our customers. We operate 24 hours, 7 days a week and can tailor the service to meet your individual requirements.

In this blog, we take a look at some of the ways you can maintain the brickwork on your property to extend its lifespan. Its important to protect the exterior of your building because it is the first impression visitors will receive on approach. They won't be very impressed if the bricks are stained or dirty, so it is best to look after them properly.

Brick repointing

Repointing is a job that is quite commonly needed for those who own properties made of brick. It is necessary in instances where the mortar between the bricks needs to be repaired.

It is recommended that a professional bricklayer is used to carry out this job, as they will have the correct skills to perform the task well but safely.

The building benefits in several ways from repointing, such as helping to maintain its outward aesthetic and structural integrity. If you notice any damage on your property, it is best to get it sorted as soon as possible.

Repairing water damage

Water damage is another thing you will have to contend with as a property owner, particularly as we see a lot of rainfall across the UK. 

Cracks can start to appear in masonry, and will need to be treated to protect the brickwork. It is advised to have professionals take a look at this in order to potentially seal any holes in the facade or to repair mortar with repointing. 

You need to especially be careful of the situation in colder conditions, as frozen water can enlarge between bricks and cause further problems to occur.

It is always good to be keeping an eye out for any signs of damage to the exterior of your building as more significant repairs could be costly and may ruin your enjoyment of the property.

Inspect brickwork for signs of plants

Although often present on the exterior of properties, plants can actually cause damage to the structure of your building.

Growth such as vines and roots should be carefully monitored to see if they are causing harm to surfaces. Having these regularly maintained by professionals will help to minimise chances of damage taking place.

You should pay particularly close attention to areas that spend most of the day in shade, as biological growth is more likely to happen here and lead to problems.

The roots of plants may also cause cracks in the surface that could lead to leakages within the property. It is best to have it checked out if you notice this type of growth on your building.

Avoid painting exteriors

Many people find that painting the bricks on their property improves its appearance, but it can require additional looking after. 

Not only this, but moisture becomes stuck beneath the paint and is not able to evaporate like it normally would when the brickwork is exposed. This is because paint substances are not porous like bricks are, so the moisture has nowhere to go once the property is affected by weather conditions.

Damage to the paint is also likelier than to exposed brick, so this will be more costly to preserve. To extend the lifespan of the exterior of your property, paint will require additional work.

Once implemented, paint can also be tricky to remove and you might need professional help. At ICE Cleaning, we are brick cleaning specialists who can remove paint from brickwork to help restore the building to as close to its original condition as possible.

Professional brick cleaning solutions

One of the best ways to maintain the brickwork on your property is to hire professional brick cleaners. They will be equipped with the tools to clean everything from walls and driveways to patios and external buildings.

Whether you need cleaning on an industrial, commercial or domestic building, specialist cleaners will be able to help you. It is important if you own a business to preserve the facade of your building to appeal to visitors, while you may want to attract potential buyers to your home if you're selling a domestic property.

Opting for professional help can help remove many stains from surfaces, including:

• Paint
• Pigeon guano
• Graffiti
• Biological growth

Here at ICE Cleaning, we use only non-abrasive and non-toxic solutions on our brick cleaning, as we are committed to protecting the environment during our services. 

TORIK system

The TORIK system is our preferred solution for brick cleaning. It works by releasing a flow of super-heated water through a heat-resistant nozzle onto brickwork.

The liquid dries immediately and is able to remove the toughest of stains from surfaces. It is popular with domestic and commercial clients alike, and doesn't cause any further harm to exteriors.

Similar services we offer

To help you look after other aspects of the exterior of your property, we offer several similar services. This includes:

• Roof cleaning
• Stone cleaning
• Commercial window cleaning
• Graffiti Removal

We're here to help

To find out more about the brick cleaning services we offer, get in touch with us today on 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk. Our friendly support team are available round the clock to answer any questions or concerns you have.