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When faced with a large expanse of brickwork to clean and restore, you need a reliable partner with the techniques and equipment to do the job properly, without causing damage. Conventional blast cleaning or using a chemical brick cleaner has the potential to damage the delicate surface of old bricks. APT soda blasting is a far safer, holistic solution.
Soda blast cleaning is accepted by conservation architects as being the best possible way of cleaning and restoring old brickwork. It is a powerful cleaning technique that removes only the grime and will not harm the substrate of the building. Soda blasting doesn’t work by abrading the surface, which is why it is perfect for cleaning bricks.
The process of soda blasting that fires crystals using compressed air, sends bicarbonate of soda onto the surface which the crystals shatter on contact. The energy released from this shattering of crystals disrupts the surface cohesion of the contamination which is simply blown off the surface of the bricks. Because blasting soda has a similar hardness to talcum powder, it will not abrade the surface of your brickwork as your bricks are harder than the soda crystals.
Cleaning your bricks is an important stage of any restoration project and preservation is of paramount importance. Blast cleaning with abrasive materials is not an option as the surface of the bricks will be degraded. Neither is using a chemical brick cleaner, this too can damage the brickwork and the mortar joints; addition additional costs and set back to your project. Using soda blasting ensures that cost-effective restoration, repair and replacement can be carried out on all types of brickwork.
In some cases, where minimal restoration is required, expert masons will replace damaged bricks in-situ and repair rotten and weakened mortar joints. In cases where the restoration needs are more extensive, your brickwork will be dismantled by our experts, carefully numbered and stacked in sequence. Rebuilding will be carried out with the same care and precision as the dismantling, using appropriate mortar and mortar styles.
We will carefully select handmade new bricks or reclaimed bricks that match your existing bricks. Where these are not available, we will draw up an exact specification from which your replacement bricks will be made.
APT are the leading soda blasting company in the UK so call us now on 0800 0723 773 for help and advice with your brick cleaning or masonry renovation requirements.