How to Improve the Look of Red Bricks on an Old House

Several options are there to make your old, oxidized, brick look great, here are a few!

Things You'll Need

• Buckets
• Hose
• Face mask
• Leather gloves
• Long handled fiber scrub brush
• Masking Material

Instructions

1. Try this method with just water first and if that does not do it, go ahead and go to the store. There are a few things you can use so do check at your local hardware store as the most common material to clean brick in the way that you need does take special care. This would be muriatic acid. Properly used, and with a simple method this is actually the best way to get the result you need.

2. 

   You are going to need to protect yourself from this product. Good leather gloves and a face mask will suffice. Hook up your hose so it is handy as you are going to need it!

3. 

   Tape off all window edges, around any metal fixtures (you may need to repaint them anyway if they have been rusting on the wall) and any other features that are not brick.

4. 

   Get your bucket and following the directions (it should be a 10% muriatic acid to water solution) mix up your solution. Don't try to take a shortcut and add more, this is more often than not how the brick ends up damaged and is all too common in that industry!

5. 

   Put on your gloves and face mask and start watering the wall. The best time and way to do this is to let the sun follow you so where you are working is shaded and then the sun will help dry it after you have finished that area. Water the wall well, you do NOT want it to dry out while you are working. This will be pretty easy if you do it section by section so just water the wall and the masonry till saturated in a small area, up and down, at a time.

6. 

   Get the brush and dip it in the acid mix, scrub the brick, not the joints or masonry, really well for the suggested amount of time for the product you are using.

7. 

   Rinse and repeat all the way across. Water till saturated, scrub, rinse. If the sun starts to catch up, take the day off and do it again tomorrow. This is one where impatience is what causes damage, that brick has been there a long time and it is not going anywhere.

8. There are many new commercial cleaning compounds on the market today that will clean new masonry as well as muriatic acid and can be used with more safety. Many of these cleaners contain small amounts of hydrochloric acid as well as "wetting" and "buffering" agents to improve the solution's action and to minimize deterioration of mortar joints and damage to surrounding materials. Here are some recommended commercial cleaning compounds:
   • Sure Klean 101, 600 and Vanatrol
   • Superior 800 series
   • Goldblatt Brick Bath
   • Diedrich 200, 202, 202 VanaStop

Tips & Warnings

• Do a spot test before anything, there are many solutions available and if you can get some expert advice as to your brick, all the better.

• Take your time, but keep ahead of the sun!

• Make sure to use enough water, you can't saturate the wall and mortar enough!

• Take care to not get the solution on you!

• Sandblasting red brick is NOT recommended.

• Keep and eye on the mortar joints, if there is any damage you will need to hire a pro to fix it, thusly the 'scrub ONLY brick'.