How To Restore Your Brickwork To Its Former Glory

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How To Restore Your Brickwork To Its Former Glory
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• When laid and maintained professionally, bricks
  and mortar can remain standing for many, many
  years centuries in fact! However, despite their
  extreme durability, its not unusual for bricks
  to become dulled over time, and lose their
  original color that made them so visually
  appealing.
• If youre the owner of a brick property and are
  disheartened that the building no longer looks as
  glorious as it once did thanks to faded
  brickwork, youll be pleased to know that there
  are ways of restoring it that will get it back to
  its original condition.

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• Requiring expert care and ongoing maintenance,
  heres whats involved when a masonry contractor
  tackles faded brickwork
• The cleaning process
• Firstly, a masonry contractor will clean the
  brickwork by carefully removing all of the dust,
  mold and debris that has likely accumulated on
  the porous surface of the bricks over the years.
  While for some buildings, such as those that
  arent historical, power washing may be an
  appropriate course of action for removing dirt
  and other substances, older brickwork requires
  tackling in a more delicate manner.

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• Although still with the use of water, an
  adjustable nozzle for spraying is used to control
  the flow of water and prevent the brickwork from
  crumbling. Then, using just the right amount of
  pressure and water combined with a non-abrasive
  cleaning agent, theyll spray the bricks and give
  a gentle scrubbing to any areas more heavily
  affected with stubborn stains and discoloration.
• Once this has taken place, the bricks are given
  24 hours to dry out completely.

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• Applying the sealer
• When the bricks have been cleaned and are dry,
  their original color will be exposed. However, to
  help preserve the color, a clear-coat sealant
  will need to be applied to protect the bricks
  from dust and grime, but also to ensure that
  theyre able to withstand moisture and exposure
  to the elements. If smaller areas require
  sealing, this may be applied with a roller or
  paintbrush, while for larger expanses of brick, a
  pneumatic sprayer will be used for efficiency
  purposes. One, two or multiple coats may be
  applied according to the type of coating used,
  and the degree of protection needed.

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• Highlighting any underlying issues
• In some instances, bricks may become discolored
  due to a number of issues that are underlying,
  such as mold, salty efflorescence and lime
  runoff. Fortunately, masonry contractors have
  methods of dealing which each of these problems
• Mold is wholly preventable with the right type of
  sealant
• Efflorescence can be stopped by preventing the
  bricks from being exposed to salt
• Lime runoff, if not prevented, can be improved by
  checking the sources of water exposure

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• What about tuckpointing?
• More often than not, worn looking bricks are
  caused by old mortar, and masonry contractors use
  tuckpointing to remove the old mortar and replace
  it with new mortar. This will instantly bring
  back the original look of any brickwork, along
  with protecting it for years to come against wear
  and tear.
• Brickwork deserves to be treated with respect, as
  does your home, and if youve noticed that the
  bricks and mortar of your home are starting to
  look worn and may be in need of some TLC, simply
  call up a local masonry contractor and ask them
  to restore it to its former glory.

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• At I.T.M Construction Corp. is one of the best
  general contractors in Astoria, Queens NY. Our
  family owned and operated business has been
  providing valued clients in Astoria, Queens and
  beyond, with a variety of high quality
  construction and roofing services for almost two
  decades. Whatever your needs, weve got a skilled
  contractor to handle them, and with fair pricing
  and quality workmanship. If you are looking for
  brick pointing masonry contractors Astoria,
  contact us at 718-956-8483.