We have used a lot of concrete cleaners on this show, even recently compared water based to solvent based cleaners and found them rather equivalent.Here is a new one that is rather amazing. It is called Oil Lift. The difference with this one is that it is totally ecologically friendly, no harsh...
Heather asked: "I have a 75 year old brick semi. I've noticed that on one of the pillars there's white powder. I'm wondering what it is and how to prevent it?"I assume that her pillars are on her front porch. We took some brick and soaked it in salt water. When it dried, the salt was all over...
David Klutt of Landscapes by D.K. Enterprises in Toronto showed us the critical steps for a good job of interlocking walkway bricks:At least 8 inches of excavation:3/4 inch crush run gravel (mix of 3/4 right down to dust to compact well), 3 inches then compacted then 3 inches then compacted;2 in...
This is actually a mechanical problem, not a staining problem. Microscopic particles of white pigment have flowed down the wall with the rain and lodged into the pores of the brick. Acid will not change their colour nor dislodge them. They have to be removed mechanically. Brushes tend to not ...
Blue dye is put into some de-icers to let you know where you have applied it. Will it stain the paving bricks? The answer is -- maybe.As long as the dye stays on the surface, the sunlight will quickly break it down and it will lose its blue colour. If you have quality paving stones (which are d...
In this segment we took a look at a very interesting product where thin "bricks" made out of concrete extrusions are hung on metal racks. The end result is very similar to a fancy brick wall.How does it keep the rain out? Actually the same way a regular brick-and-mortar wall does, or a vinyl...
Getting soot off fireplace bricks is not an easy job, especially if it has cooked in over a long period of time. We tested: vinegar & water ; baking soda & water ; bubbly soda water ; and muriatic acid.The Vinegar did all right, the baking soda better, and the regular bubbly soda water ...
There are many products on the market designed to remove oil stains from driveways. Some of them actually work. The primary problem with them is that they basically dissolve the oil, much of it soaking even deeper into the concrete. That means you have to soak it up and attempt to not worsen ...
Dan from Fort Erie, Ontario wrote: I purchased a retirement home here just over an year ago and have noticed that the angel stone facing on the front of the house is breaking off. The house is about 40 years old and I suspect the angel stone is original. It appears that water is getting into ...
When the mortar on your brick is breaking up a bit, or scaling off, you cannot simply put a skim coat of new mortar over the old, it will not hold. If someone has done that before on your house you know it doesn't hold, that is why you are redoing the job now.Mortar sticks to the brick, not t...
