Masonry Magazine June 2009 Page. 26
Case Study Masonry Cleaning in Action
By Randy Weil and Rick Swanson
Swanson Masonry Inc. is a well-established, award-winning masonry company in St. Louis, Mo. Six years ago, the company faced a tough decision when issues with a particular cleaning subcontractor they were using arose. A customer and personal friend of Rick Swanson wondered why the cleaning took so long. When the customer observed the cleaning of a job, he noticed the methods used were time consuming, the cleaner caused some disruption on the jobsite, and he showed littles respect for the customer. Perhaps worst of all, there were bums on concrete, etched windows, and a variety of other damages caused by the cleaning.
Swanson's customer commented that everything else in his the operation was excellent, with the exception of the cleaning. From Swanson's perspective, "We had invested so much time and forethought into every process that we had almost zero flaws and felt we were at the top of our game. I told my customer that I thought our cleaner was the norm, and I did not know of anything or anyone else to turn to. He wasn't impressed with that answer."
Swanson searched for alternatives and found the Kem-O-Kleen Masonry Cleaning System. "No one was currently using anything like this in my area," Swanson says. "It seemed to be what we needed, but there was no way I was spending that kind of money when I could buy brushes for 5¢ each. I grew up in this business and washed every weekend for my dad which is one of the reasons I decided to sub out our cleaning. My call to the manufacturer, Unique Industries, was enlightening. They told me things about cleaning masonry that I hadn't thought of. We ended up driving several hours to rent a machine, so we could try one out before making this major decision.
Correct cleaner
WHAT'S THE RIGHT CLEANER for any given masonry? On a new-construction project, the masonry manufacturer will be glad to tell you. It's an increasingly common practice for manufacturers to have their products tested by an independent lab to see which cleaners work best.
That crucial info is often supplied on a pallet tag on every masonry cube. If not, manufacturers will usually be glad to give you their recommendations on request. It's in their interests, as well as yours, to have projects look as beautiful as you can make them.
Choosing the right restoration cleaner is harder. The staining and soiling probably started before you were born. It's hard, and it's thick. It's often made of multiple contaminants. The surface in the grip of these stains may be sensitive, damaged or decayed. A cleaner that's right for the soiling but wrong for the substrate could give you clean, but damaged masonry.
Craig Christensen, a project manager with Sparklewash Construction Services, an Omaha, Neb., masonry cleaning contractor, has a simple answer for that problem. "I get a rep from the manufacturer of the cleaning products I'm interested in to come to the site for no-cost tests," Christensen says. "That way, I always know right from the beginning that I've got the right cleaner-and procedure. If the manufacturer can't send a rep, I find one who can. It's not worth it to take a chance."
The proper personnel
IT'S NO SECRET that masonry professionals would rather lay masonry than clean it. That doesn't make cleaning any less crucial. If you don't want to clean the brick yourself, consider hiring a professional, and then following that professional's recommendations.
Though the job might not be fun, it's far too important to the building's final appearance-and price tag-to trust it to anyone without the proper training and qualifications. "Our apprentices work on simple cleaning jobs under supervision," Christensen says. "It's part of their training. But complicated jobs like restoration cleaning, and mixed and sensitive masonry jobs, are only for our most skilled foremen.