Washing, instead of painting, a council home.

marble pie · 08-07-2011 4:16pm #1

This may be a silly question but I'm wondering if people have much experience washing the exterior of redbrick homes? I'm hesitant about painting an entire council house, primarily because of the cost, and would prefer to simply wash the walls if that would make a noticeable difference. Do people think it's worth the effort to do this? What would be the best ways of approaching the job?

Thanks

mp22 · 08-07-2011 6:02pm

A wire brush might be the way to go,could be difficult to get a even finish though.

CarrickMcJoe · 08-07-2011 6:08pm

mp22 wrote: »

A wire brush might be the way to go,could be difficult to get a even finish though.

WHAT! You want the OP to wire brush the whole outside of a brick house, you're havin a laugh.
Get a powerwasher and do it and yes it will make a difference.

mp22 · 08-07-2011 7:12pm

If the red bricks and the mortar are old a power washer will cause problems,loosening joints plus some red bricks can get porous with age.If there newish go nuts.:D

michael999999 · 08-07-2011 7:33pm

Cant you get a mild acid wash to clean the bricks!

paddy147 · 08-07-2011 8:41pm

acid wash it,simples.

marble pie · 23-07-2011 8:58pm

Thanks for all the tips. I've heard also that powerwashing can damage the bricks and mortar more than you'd probably think but acid washing, that's something I'm going to look into.

looksee · 23-07-2011 10:01pm

Be very careful with powerwashing on bricks, you can easily do damage.

antiskeptic · 24-07-2011 2:08pm

I'd be careful with acid. Test on a small area and leave a few weeks after washing off to see if there has been a reaction with any of the constituents of the brick.

A powerwasher with mild detergent and warm water, used judiciously (i.e, from a bit of a distance) might give a result.

Washing, instead of painting, a council home.

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