've been "re-habbing" a commercial building that has about 300 sf of brick floor. It is about 25 years old. Between the age and the dirt, dust, plaster etc that I've track onto it over the last few months it is quite dirty. Not greasy, just plain old dirty. I've scrubbed it with a brush and lots of clean water and it is looking significantly better, but the pits in the brick still have dirt. Can I use a steam cleaner or some other sort of wet vacuum to accomplish this? Quite frankly, I'm just tired of scrubbing over and over. The bricks are sealed (25 years ago?). Once the floor is clean, I've got some Silica Sand to brush onto/into the floor to fill up the gaps inbetween the bricks. I then plan to put a fresh coat of sealer on top. Any comments or suggestions are welcome. Thanks! -mk
2007-03-13 10:40:48 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Decorating & Remodeling
Hi Gianna's roomy here, I'm a contractor:
Don't use a pressure washer unless the room has a drain.
You can go to your local Home Depot, Menards, Lowes, etc. and purchase Stone wash, follow the instructions on the container. You will apply it to the brick, attach a stiff scrub brush to a Pole, scrub in every direction thouroughly all over the whole surface. Let it sit for 15-20 mins, and mop up with cold water and wet vac the excess water.
Silica sand is not a good grout filler, you would be better off grinding out the top surface of grout and re-grouting, do this after you use the cleaner. After the grout has dried sponge mop off excess grout with cold water, wait until it is completely dry before you re-seal it.( the silica sand will not adhere to the floor, so when you try to seal it , the silica sand will mix in with your sealer)
This is the best way to get the job done right, with long lasting results.
You will get the same results as power washing a brick building with acid, tuck pointing, and then sealing.
It will last forever!
2007-03-13 11:07:45 · answer #1 · answered by Gianna M 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How To Clean Brick Floors
2016-10-28 10:39:46 · answer #2 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no count if that's outdoors upload some j's fluids to the water answer and placed this into an previous dis-used watering can. Pour the answer on the bricks and use a stiff bristle brush to scrub the bricks. this will additionally shrink the slipperiness of the bricks as properly!
2016-10-18 07:31:03 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would try a 1-8 hydrochloric "muriatic" acid wash, followed by wet vac, min, 5 horse, follow same way with rinse, reseal be for re grout one more rinse, apply with garden sprayer
2007-03-13 11:10:58 · answer #4 · answered by wthealer 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On some things it works very well. It works better on greasy stains that can be dissolved in steam, and it doesn't sound like you have that. I would suggest you recover them with some grout and reseal them forever.
2007-03-13 10:44:22 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
try a lite acid, like vinegar... etc... if no one is living in the building, you could as a last resort try a solution of muratic acid dialuted 4 to 1 with water... 4 parts water and 1 acid... be careful this stuff is powerful, you will need plenty of ventilation... and rubber gloves....
2007-03-13 10:53:27 · answer #6 · answered by prop4u 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Get a high psi pressure washer (you can rent them)...I'm sure there are plenty of commercial "cleaners" you can mix with the water to help...i've heard of people using bleach & water....
2007-03-13 10:47:26 · answer #7 · answered by michael.avery 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋