TABLE OF CONTENTS Cleaning new brick and concrete masonry is easiest if some simple protective measures are taken during construction. The finished appearance of masonry walls depends to a great extent on the attention given to the surfaces during construction and during the cleaning process. Care should always be taken to prevent mortar smears or splatters on the face of the wall, but if such stains do occur, proper cleaning can help prevent permanent discoloration.
Precautions which should be taken during construction include the following:
protecting the base of the wall from rain-splashed mud or mortar droppings by using straw, sand, sawdust, or plastic sheeting spread out on the ground and up the wall surface;
turning scaffold boards on edge at the end of the day to prevent rain from splashing mortar or dirt directly onto the wall;
covering the tops of unfinished walls at the end of the day to prevent saturation or contamination from rain; and
protecting masonry units and packaged mortar ingredients from groundwater or rainwater contamination by storing off the ground, protected with waterproof coverings.
The cleaning process itself can be a source of staining if chemical or detergent cleansing solutions are improperly used, or if windows, doors, and trim are not properly protected from possible corrosive effects. New masonry may be cleaned by scrubbing with water, detergent, a muriatic acid solution, or proprietary cleaning compounds.
Detergent solutions will remove mud, dirt, and soil...
