What is facade cleaning?
The façade generally refers to the front of the building, where the entrance is located. Some of the most popular materials used to build facades include glass, stone, and wood — although some properties may feature facades made of metals, such as stainless steel or aluminum.
Facade cleaning, on the other hand, refers to the process of ensuring that the exterior of a building is free of any dirt, soot, stains, and pollutants.
There are several reasons why the facade of a building may appear dirty: the impact of the climate, birds, pollutants in the air, the action of residents, and many others. This combination can cause the color of the façade to fade, impacting the overall appearance of the building.
How a facade is cleaned will depend on the material it's made of. The equipment and solutions used will be specific to the type of material to ensure that no damage occurs during the cleaning process. In addition, the location and function of the building can also determine exactly how the façade is cleaned.
Why should the facade of a building be cleaned?
When we talk about cleaning the facade, the issue of aesthetics is the first thought that comes to mind. After all, a clean building simply looks better than a dirty building — offering a more attractive real estate prospect to the public.
However, it is possible to deepen this analysis. Structures that house commercial activities — such as stores, malls, theaters, or commercial buildings — generally require a higher degree of cleanliness to make a good impression on the public. It is a direct relationship with the financial results of the activities carried out.
On the other hand, buildings that house less public activities or residential condominiums require less care with cleaning, but they also have their own motivations.
Going beyond the aesthetic issue of facade cleaning, we also need to consider the conservation of the condominium. It is almost impossible to assess the state of a brickwork substrate, for example, when the facade is covered with dirt, soot and/or a coating. In order to determine the areas that need to be patched, repaired, or re-sealed—or, in some cases, even to correctly identify the substrate—the façade must be cleaned of any and all elements that prevent its proper assessment.
Yet another key motivation behind façade cleaning is the effort to remove harmful pollutants, such as sulfur and nitrogen oxides, and other acid rain pollutants, from the façade. After all, these pollutants can accelerate the deterioration of facades.
How often do you need to clean the facade?
Several factors determine the frequency of facade cleaning in a condominium:
- Construction purpose
- Localization
- Landscaping
- Clima
- Type of business developed (for commercial buildings)
- Expenses
- Construction style
That is, there are many aspects that must be considered in this analysis. A shopping mall located in a high-pollution area must certainly be cleaned more frequently than a residential condominium in a low-pollution area.
7 tips for cleaning facades in condominiums
1. Learn about the damage caused by dirt to the façade
As we have already highlighted, façade cleaning is not only important for aesthetic reasons. In fact, dirt can be largely responsible for the degradation of construction.
Moisture is the main cause of masonry degradation. When moisture is combined with soluble salts from polluted rainwater or with atmospheric gases, decomposition is accelerated. When soluble salt dissolves in water, it travels deep into the masonry substrate through pores or cracks. Once the moisture evaporates, the salt recrystallizes, exerting tremendous pressures that break the brickwork inside.
In addition, atmospheric gases such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides react with wet and dirty surfaces to form corrosive liquids, such as carbonic acid, sulfuric acid, and nitric acid. These liquids react with various elements in the masonry and can result in the formation of hardened surface crusts and the dissolution of acid-soluble cementing binders that hold the masonry together. The formation of these dense surface crusts and the removal of acid-soluble ligands, if they persist, are processes of progressive deterioration.
Lastly, cleaning the façade opens the pores of a building and allows for normal moisture transpiration. Moisture trapped in a brickwork wall, for example, will remain there if a waterproofing coating prevents its exit. In this case, as moisture is the primary cause of masonry deterioration, comprehensive façade cleaning to include removal of the waterproofing coating may be the key component of the design professional's effort to restore the building.
2. Promote staff protection
It is important that the professionals responsible for cleaning façades adopt the safety procedures necessary for safe work. This includes the use of safety equipment, proper handling of chemicals, and avoiding contact with dirt — which may include bird droppings and other substances that can cause illness and other health damage.
3. Take care not to damage the construction
When protecting against damage to the building during the cleaning of the façade, it is important to have a detailed description and good planning of the proposed materials and protection methods to prevent damage or deterioration caused by the cleaning work for all construction elements, materials and finishes.
To protect building surfaces that should not be cleaned, it is necessary to use specified protective materials — ensuring that glass, metal, wood, and/or painted surfaces are not affected during masonry cleaning, for example.
In addition, all existing windows and doors and other openings must be temporarily sealed to prevent liquids and particles from entering.
Another way to increase safety is to perform a test cleaning of a part of the facade. In this way, it is possible to assess whether the cleaning effort will have the desired results and ensure that the chosen method does not damage the façade.
Before the cleaning test, it must be made sure that other activities that may affect the cleaning work are fully completed. Cleaning should not begin until all other work has finished.
Finally, care for the weather condition is also essential to protect against building damage during façade cleaning. If it's too cold, liquid cleaners and water will freeze in layers of ice. On the other hand, if it's too hot, the drying time of a chemical may accelerate, so it may not have time to work as it should and may not be washed properly. In addition, wind can cause additional problems with steam and excessive spraying.
4. Protect the condominium's surroundings
To protect the site while cleaning the façade, there must be a plan to contain dust, liquids, excessive spraying, and debris that could cause damage to adjacent properties and the public.
Temporary protection, such as barriers, fences, nets, or other, as needed, must be provided and erected to prevent these situations. Once the work of the cleaning operations is over, all temporary protection must be removed.
In addition, it is also recommended to ensure minimum interference on the street and other adjacent facilities. For example, water flow from immersion and cleaning operations must be continuously monitored to prevent damage to the building and surrounding areas. Plywood traffic routes may be required for all surfaces, such as roofs or terraces, that professionals will circulate on during cleaning. The plywood must be free of chips, fasteners and any other irregularities that could damage the existing surface.
5. Take care of the environment
Another important point is to plan in advance all necessary precautions to prevent hazardous materials from entering the environment. All necessary means must be used to prevent contaminated water, chemicals and abrasive particles from flowing into the drains or entering the air inlets and outlets. In addition, protection and garbage collection systems must be in place before general cleaning begins.
6. Find out about the legislation
In some cities, the cleaning and maintenance of the façade of buildings is the subject of municipal legislation. In other words, it is necessary to know the laws that regulate this activity to follow the requirements - which may include appropriate schedules, maintenance time, used products, and other aspects.
For example, in the city of São Paulo, the maximum time between one maintenance and another is 5 years. With the number of existing buildings, the purpose of this standard is to maintain the aesthetics of the city and guarantee the safety of pedestrians. After all, the detachment of ceramic tiles and coatings in the outdoor area may result in an accident.
7. Learn about the main methods of cleaning the façade
Basically, all facade cleaning projects fall into one of four categories: chemical, non-chemical, abrasive, and those that may require a combination of these methods. For example, while a masonry façade cleaning project may be partially successful with a non-chemical water immersion procedure to remove dirt and remove it, it may be necessary to supplement this method with an appropriate (chemical) cleaning agent to treat areas of heavy stains.
That's why it's important to know your alternatives to find the best facade cleaning method for your condo. Let's see the main information about each of the methods:
Cleaning methods with water
Water cleaning methods include a process of immersion in water and the application of slow, constant jets of water. That way, it is possible to remove the dirt and wash it - a very effective method when the dirt becomes swollen and soft.
For each façade cleaning project with water, it is necessary to define:
a) duration of immersion (in hours);
b) number of gallons of water per minute per spout;
c) nozzle spacing.
This method is very effective on stone, especially limestone and enameled brick. However, there are possible limitations related to this procedure - as with any procedure - that must be taken into account:
- Prolonged exposure results in the oxidation of the natural components of the brickwork and transports harmful salts deep into the brickwork
- Saturated brickwork takes several weeks to dry
- The continuous cascade of water results in erosion
- There is a possibility that internal surfaces, furniture, and equipment may be damaged
- Water flow must be controlled
Another alternative using water is high-pressure washing. This procedure is effective on stone, brickwork, and concrete for removing light to moderate atmospheric and organic stains. This method using heated water can be effective for removing grease and oil stains.
High-pressure washing must be performed with care to the following parameters:
- pressure rating;
- water flow rate;
- spray tip (type and size);
- distance from the substrate.
The limitations associated with this procedure are as follows:
- Pressure washing alone will not remove serious stains
- High pressures are abrasive and can partially remove mortar and corrosion stone
- Can rust on the brickwork occur
- Saturated brickwork takes several weeks to dry
- Water can pass through small openings and cause premature decay
- Water flow must be controlled
- This method is not a substitute for manual labor.
- This method should not be used to apply chemical cleaners, as the chemicals will be embedded deep into the brickwork.
Chemical cleaning methods
Manufactured by companies to eliminate “resistant” façade stains, chemical cleaning products work by dissolving stains, allowing them to be rinsed off. Generally, chemical cleaning products fall into one of four categories: acid cleaning products, alkaline cleaning products, organic solvents, and special no-rinse detergents.
The list of commercial chemical cleaning products available for different types of facade surfaces is long and varied: some are designed to remove efflorescence and salt stains. Others are primarily used to remove excess grout, grout stains, and dirt. Still others are more suitable for use on bricks that may have high metal content.
Chemicals are numerous and designed to solve a variety of cleaning problems — such as restoration cleaners designed to combat extremely dirty and heavily charred masonry, typically found in large cities or high-pollution areas.
However, since we are talking about chemicals, handling and storage, cleaning, disposal, and safety information deserve special attention and should be reviewed in advance.
Abrasive cleaning methods
Of the various methods for cleaning stone, brickwork and concrete, abrasive cleaning is the only one that is designed to completely remove the outer part of the substrate on which the stain settles, rather than simply dissolving and washing the stain. For this reason, abrasive cleaning is generally not recommended for restorative façade cleaning projects.
Abrasive sandblasting, sanding discs, sanding belts, and wet sandblasting (abrasive sandblasting combined with high-pressure washing) fall into the abrasive cleaning category. New methods, using very small grains (20 to 100 microns) and containment of the cleaning area, are available and are much less intrusive to the substrate. While abrasive cleaning methods are effective in removing a variety of surface stains, the limitations associated with the various techniques are numerous:
- Removing the masonry surface exposes a softer substrate to faster decay
- Abrasive cleaning techniques are ineffective in removing underground stains
- The significant amount of dust created by abrasive techniques makes it difficult to monitor progress
- Airborne silica dust poses safety risks
- Abrasive cleaning opens the surface area of the treated substrate to atmospheric corrosion, water absorption, and other decomposition processes.
- Sandblasting may increase the need for reclosing
Did you like the tips for cleaning the façade in condominiums? Did you have any questions about the matter? Leave your comment!
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