Pressure Washing, Natick MA

Sometimes professionalism in our field isn’t just about being good at cleaning.  It’s about knowledge and an understanding of possible underlying issues and the potential for things going wrong.  For instance, pressure washers tend to run into a problem when cleaning brick, cement and stone called efflorescence.  Basically efflorescence is salts (like calcium and magnesium) that are in the stone, brick and cement. Water can penetrate the substrate by leaks, rain, floods or even pressure washing.  As the moisture migrates to the surface of the stone to evaporate, it draws these salts with it which leaves a white, powdery appearance also known as a “bloom.”

Natick MA, Pressure Washing

Pressure Washing

Pressure washing can force water into porous substances like brick and cement and consequently causes efflorescence.  Efflorescence can be a tough problem to solve.  You can use acids to dissolve the alkaline salts, but they can risk damage to surroundings if your pressure washing professional doesn’t know what he’s doing.  The problem with using acids is that they are water based and water is what caused the problem to begin with.  Combining acids with alkaline salts create neutral salts which cause efflorescence.  To remove either the remaining acid or the salts that are now present on the surface, you need to rinse the surface.  Rinsing the surface will cause water to migrate into the brick or cement again and when it dries, it draws more efflorescence out with it.  As you can now see, it can be quite troublesome for your pressure washing professional.

Low Pressure

Because the pressure washing process can cause it, low pressure cleaning with proper chemicals and dwell time are essential for your brick or cement.  Your pressure washing technician should know of the potential for efflorescence and be able to identify possible signs that a problem might occur.  It can never be guaranteed that it won’t occur and it can also not be guaranteed that the problem can be solved.  Call Wagner Window Service and a friendly professional will come out and talk to you about your masonry cleaning needs.

By Wagner Window Service