House
Brick washing
Damp brick grows algae; Georgia clay leaves red marks. I soft wash, test first and keep high pressure off old mortar. Growth usually cleans well. Clay, rust and mineral stains need their own treatment and may leave a shadow.
How I clean it
Brick is soft washed at low pressure with the house mix, then rinsed. Old mortar never gets a pressure tip, because pressure cuts soft joints and drives water into the wall. Clay, rust and mineral stains get their own treatment, and a test spot comes first.
What it won't do
A wash does not repoint mortar, fix spalled brick, or stop water that is coming through the wall. Some clay, rust and mineral stains lighten and leave a shadow.
What shows up on brick here
Brick is porous, so it holds water, and damp brick grows green algae and black mildew on the shaded side. The bottom courses catch red clay every time rain splashes off the beds. White crust is efflorescence, salt that water carries out of the masonry. Orange fans where the sprinkler hits are iron.
Why the color decides the treatment
Green and black is growth, and the house mix kills it. Orange-red is clay or rust, and bleach does nothing to either one. White is salt. Each one is a different step, so I look at the color before anything gets wet, and a test spot settles it when I'm not sure. See how to tell red clay from mildew.
What I check first
- Soft or missing mortar, where water would go in instead of running off.
- Painted brick, which gets washed like a painted wall.
- Weep holes along the bottom. They stay open, and I don't aim the rinse into them.
- Plants against the wall. They get watered before and rinsed after.
How long it holds
Sunny brick holds a lot longer than shaded brick. A shaded wall in a wet summer can show green again inside a year. Efflorescence comes back as long as water keeps moving through the wall.
What it costs
For a brick house, the price calculator gives you a number in about a minute. Pick Wash the house, then Brick. Add the stain option if there is clay or rust on the bottom courses.
Getting a price
Send a wide photo and a close-up of the worst spot, with the town. I'll tell you what the wash can do before we agree a price.
Call (706) 415-7564Get a price estimateSend photos for a straight quote
The price is agreed before the hose comes off the reel.
Questions people ask me
- Do you pressure wash brick?
- Not old mortar. Brick is soft washed at low pressure and rinsed. Pressure can cut soft joints and push water into the wall.
- What is the white crust on my brick?
- Efflorescence. It is salt carried out of the masonry by water. Washing removes the crust, but it comes back while the water keeps moving through.
- Will the red clay come off the bottom of the brick?
- Fresh clay usually lifts. Old clay in porous brick may lighten and leave a shadow. It is a separate step from the mildew wash.
The full method is on the House soft washing page.