New Brick Clean Ltd | Tel: 0845 050 9713 | Fax: 0845 050 9714 | Email:info@newbrickclean.co.uk

The construction business suffers from problematic practices unheard of in other industries. Holdbacks, demands for investment and mandated wages rank high among these. For construction companies and bricklayers, another difficult situation arises at the end of most jobs: judging work solely by the quality of the cleaning. If the masonry project is clean, the job is acceptable; if the masonry is not well cleaned; the project is judged to be substandard. The quality of the cleaning becomes the yardstick by which the job is measured without regard for the soundness of the masonry work. There is a solution to this problem. Proper cleaning complements and enhances quality work and can be achieved 100% of the time.

Quality masonry cleaning relies on three interdependent components: quality workmanship, quality chemicals, and quality equipment. For good results in masonry, workers who have basic knowledge of masonry techniques and the quality demanded must do the cleaning. Allowing a contractor to use unskilled labourers to finish high quality work is no more acceptable than using unskilled and untrained masons to lay brick and block. In addition, chemicals must be selected considering the type and colour of brick and block being used. New Brick Clean uses Safety Klean, an environmentally friendly cleaning solution that does not contain hydrochloric acid, to achieve the required results. Finally, the equipment must be specifically made for cleaning masonry so the work will be done without damaging the surface, discolouring the brick or destroying the joints. Moreover, from a financial perspective, the cleaning must be finished promptly so the work will be complete and the contractor can be paid. Since no one of the three elements needed to achieve superior cleaning - quality workmanship, quality chemicals, and quality equipment - can operate efficiently or render an excellent result without the other two, it is imperative that each of these components are considered.

Good workmanship begins with selecting the right company to do the cleaning. Choosing this company needs to be approached in the same way any other key company would be selected. Cleaning is not an in-house job for whoever is least busy or is otherwise not useful. Cleaning demands someone who is detail oriented, who enjoys working independently, is more concerned with the task than with teamwork, and has good hand skills. Additionally, it is essential this worker appreciate the mason's skill and artistry and is fully trained in all aspects. Many masons would rather leave their work un-cleaned than do cleaning themselves. Why? Because the skills and attributes needed for cleaning are markedly different from those needed for masonry. Cleaners are not creators; they are steady implementers. They follow instructions to get their job done. It is essential to select a company with an appreciation for the project, the necessary focus, and the attention to detail that will combine to produce an outstanding result.
Further, in consideration of excellent workmanship, contractors should chose a company with the following attributes:

• CONTROL OVER TIMELY COMPLETION
  With planning and flexibility, scaffolding need not be left in place longer than necessary. Moreover, the sooner the job is cleaned after the bricklayers finish, the easier the cleaning will be, and the faster the job can be billed and paid for. The masonry cleaning company can ensure sufficient trained manpower to meet your timescales.
• PROPER INSURANCE COVERAGE
  New Brick Clean holds £10 million Employers Liability insurance and £2 million Public Liability insurance.
• KNOWLEDGE OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS & QUALITY CONTROL
  The masonry cleaning company who does the work should know the characteristics of the brick or blocks used. Proper chemicals need to be selected to ensure the best finish to the project. Often, an outside contractor will choose chemicals based solely on cost and without consideration of quality or safety. All New Brick Clean’s operators have been fully trained by Tensid UK, supplier of Safety Klean. New Brick Clean is the only approved new brick cleaning contractor of Tensid UK.
• CONSISTENCY IN WORKMANSHIP
  The masonry cleaning company can assure that a skilled worker is doing the work and completing the job, not a different crew from day to day. New Brick Clean’s dedicated operations manual help ensure consistency in workmanship.
• EFFICIENCY OF EQUIPMENT USE
  New Brick Clean have introduced the UK’s first environmentally friendly LPG pressure washer, which is a highly efficient and cost effective alternative to the industry standard petrol or diesel driven washers used on most building sites across the country.

Not only is it important to have the right company cleaning masonry, selection of the proper chemical is an equally important consideration. Often a job specifies a particular branded product. However, it is possible that the architect has selected the chemical without full working knowledge. Chemical manufacturers make specifications available to architects for inclusion in the work specifications, yet the specification used may not be consistent with the requirements of a particular job. The manufacturer writes the specification without specific knowledge of the brick and block. Therefore, experimenting with different chemicals on a mock-up panel of the actual block and brick being used can be an essential and worthwhile step to a satisfying result and a satisfied customer. When doing this, trying to duplicate, as closely as possible, all conditions is essential. This includes using the same application method that will be used in cleaning the finished project. It is important to determine which chemical yields the right combination of cost, speed and most important, quality. Because bricks and blocks are made up of natural elements, it is possible that different lots of the same bricks will react differently. In this case, using a mock-up constructed from different lots is advisable. If a particular chemical is specified for the job, but is not the one found best by trial, the architect should be asked to view the sample and judge the quality of finish. In many cases, architects look to contractors as experts and appreciate good advice and proven results. Safety Klean overcomes all these problems.

In some cases, the specification will not only identify the chemical to be used, but also the application process. Chemical manufacturers may do this to protect themselves from liability. As a result, some encourage use of the most timid application process as a protection from the results of poor workmanship. The suggested process may also result in use of the highest quantity of chemical and the longest completion time. Even with the most basically trained workers, cleaning can be done safely and without incident if the right combination of equipment and chemicals is used. When doing recommended testing on a mock wall, it is beneficial not only to use the application process recommended by the manufacturers of the different chemicals, but an application process proven by knowledge and experience. Again, proven and demonstrated contractor expertise is appreciated and respected by an architect whose goal is a quality finish.

Responsibility for selecting the proper chemical for cleaning is an important obligation that benefits from input not only from the chemical supplier and the architect, but the masonry contractor. The contractor has the practical experience to influence the decision making process and the practical responsibility to recommend the proper chemical.

With a well-selected company using the proper chemical, the final element to ensure excellent cleaning can be considered: the cleaning equipment. Available equipment ranges broadly, from buckets, brushes, scrapers, to high-pressure washers specifically designed for cleaning masonry. The selection of proper equipment is a function of how much cleaning is to be done, the time available to complete the work, and the capabilities of the equipment.

The initial and basic function accomplished by all equipment, from the simplest to the most specialised, is thorough wetting of the masonry surface in preparation for the application of cleaning chemicals. New Brick Clean’s LPG units enjoy a flow rate of over 20 litres per minute.

Finding the right combination of workmanship, chemicals and equipment for cleaning a quality masonry job deserves and needs thoughtful attention. Quality results rely on many elements coming together in an on-time, on-budget project. The reality is that if cleaning, the final step, is not done right, the entire job is not done right. Not only are there financial consequences such as delay or reduction in payment, the bottom line persists. If a job is cleaned right, the job is right.