How to use Floorseal Brick Cleaner

How to use Floorseal Brick Cleaner

This article has been produced to help you understand how to use Floorseal Brick Cleaner on clay bricks, stone & tiles. This includes removing cement staining, grout hazes, mortar staining, traces of lime plaster & efflorescence.

The information provided below will explain the method of removal & some of the problems you may encounter.

If you wish to view further information regarding pricing etc please click on the product title highlighted in blue.

Which kinds of residue will Floorseal Brick Acid Cleaner remove?

Floorseal Brick Cleaner is suitable for the removal of residues from cement-based grouts, mortar, concrete, efflorescence & leachate staining. This cleaning solution can be used on internal walls or floors a sit is relatively low fuming.

Which kind of surfaces can I use Floorseal Brick Cleaner on?

Floorseal Brick Cleaner can be applied to clay bricks, ceramics, slate, clay-based tiles, terracotta, quarry tile, sandstone, clay pavers, granite & more. You should always carry out a small test to ensure suitability and optimal dilution rate.

How to use Floorseal Brick Cleaner

This product is usually applied undiluted but can be diluted to a weaker concentration if required. Apply to the surface directly from the container, plastic watering can or a garden sprayer (for external situations). Ensure the surface is heavily saturated.

The product should produce a white bloom/ visible white shimmer/fizz. This will happen almost instantly, agitate and rinse the solution away within a maximum of a few minutes. Do not allow the product to dry on the surface, it should always be rinsed off before any drying has occurred.

It is possible to alter dilution rates to suit the contamination/residue & repeat the cycle (if required).

You can apply to small areas (such as very small interior walls) with a hand sprayer. Blot the solution away (once it has reacted) with microfibre cloths and lightly rinse.

Never let the product just dry on the surface after the white bloom has occurred. The product should be rinsed away while still visibly wet.

Do I need to scrub or use a pressure washer when using this product?

You should not need to use abrasion when using Floorseal Brick Cleaner. It is the chemical reaction of the product which does the work. Very light agitation can be beneficial when applied to floors, this is only to move the product around & over the surface. Agitate with a general yard brush, no specific type of brush is required.

Removing thicker ‘chunks’ of cement etc is advisable before trying to remove a haze.

If you have a pressure washer you can lightly pressure wash an exterior surface to dislodge the weaker residues before applying the product. After treating with the Brick Cleaner use the pressure washer to lightly rinse the product (and residues) away at the end of the process.

When cleaning outside there is no specific requirement to use a pressure washer, they can be useful but rinsing with a hose pipe or watering can will often suffice.

The only real benefit of using a pressure washer is to initially clean the surface. It will dislodge some residues & general dirt. And also, as stated, a useful final rinse off.

Which kind of surfaces is it NOT possible to use a Brick Cleaner on?

Highly sensitive surfaces such as limestone, marble, basalt, travertine, terrazzo, concrete block pavers and concrete (in a fine processed finish). These surfaces are acid sensitive so brick/grout haze removers should not be used.

Should you always test Floorseal Brick Cleaner?

Yes, you should check the surface you are working on is not (acid) sensitive. Also it is well worth testing for a dilution rate (if you intend on diluting the product) and method of application. Particularly if you are unfamiliar with applying the product or unsure of the type of surface you are working on. Clay bricks, porcelain or sandstones are generally not sensitive surfaces.

If Floorseal Brick Cleaner removes residues will it also remove the pointing?

Floorseal Brick Cleaner will not remove grout or mortar already cured within the joint. In other words cured pointing or a cured grout line is no longer a residue. It is a set solid (and cured) mass which has considerable strength. So, not possible (or usually desirable) to remove with a brick cleaning solution used for residue/haze removal.

The actual residue is much easier to remove as (despite it being unsightly) it is normally a relatively weak contamination. A residue (or haze) has no real depth or strength so is highly & rapidly reactive to the correct cleaning agent like Floorseal Brick Cleaner.

Is there any kind of staining that this product will not remove?

Resin based products and possibly mortars mixed with SBR bonding agents are not possible to remove with Brick Cleaner. Unfortunately resin-based products usually have no known method of removal.

For instance brush in compounds are often resin-based and usually not possible to remove with a cement/grout haze removal product.

If you are not sure which kind of jointing product you have, cross reference with the product manufacturer or information located on the jointing/grouting product.

As a general guide if the residue contains cement or cement-based product it is often possible to remove with Brick Cleaner. If it is a resin or epoxy it is not possible to remove.

General observations when using this product – some do’s and dont’s!

• Check the surface is not a sensitive surface it will ‘bloom’ or fizz if it is!
• Ensure the residue is cement based as some grouts & compound are resin.
• General residues and hazing can look rather unsightly but are often quite easy to remove.
• Very thick coatings of cement or mortar may not be possible to remove. Or not possible to remove without multiple applications of the product and/or a mechanical method of breaking down thick coatings – chipping off etc.
• There is a big difference between a thick coating and a general residue/haze.
• Floorseal Brick Cleaner should be applied (typically at full strength) & allowed to react which will be a white bloom or shimmer. This reaction will occur and disappear almost instantly, you can usually rinse off just after this occurs.
• Rinsing off within a few minutes is advisable. Leaving the product to dry means that the residues which have just been dissolved settle back out over the surface.
• Do not allow the product to dry or become slightly damp, rinse off before this occurs. If a longer dwell time is required add more product and keep the surface wet by adding more product.
• Fresh efflorescence is usually easy to remove, if it has calcified or has been there along time it may not be possible to remove with a chemical.
• Customers will often mistake trapped moisture (under sealers) for efflorescence. If this is the case a Brick Cleaner will not resolve the issue!

Conclusion

Floorseal Brick Cleaner will remove general cement staining & traditional lime mortar/plaster. This product will also remove cement-based grouts. Brick Cleaner is relatively low odour so can be used indoors or outdoors.

Test first then apply, allow to react, dwell briefly and rinse off (in a few minutes) with lots of water. Do not allow to dry on the surface. Repeat as/if required.

Perfect for cleaning clay bricks, slate, most sandstones, granite, porcelain & general clay tiles.

Do not apply to acid sensitive surfaces such as limestone, marble & concrete etc.

The information contained in this article is not exhaustive. If you need further information please contact Floorseal at  info@floorseal.co.uk