If your building’s exteriors are a few shades less orange than you remember them, it may be time for a cleaning. Over time, soot, algae and dirt can build up on the exteriors of your buildings, adding browns and greens to walls that were never those colors in the first place.

What better time to schedule a cleaning than during the summertime? Here’s what included in a typical “power washing” to improve your exteriors.

What power washing attacks

There are a lot of minerals and other substances that can attach themselves to walls. If you live in the Chicagoland area, even the snow that lands on buildings can attach minerals and other substances to the walls, making them dirty and less vibrant over time.

Some of the most common agents that can make a building’s façade less than new include mold, algae, traffic fumes, pollution, particles in the air and carbon from dirt.

By removing these elements from walls, fixtures and windows, your building can potentially look much newer than it actually is.

What cleaning methods are used?

The true benefit behind power washing is the “power” in its name. We use extremely high pressure water to lift off the offending particles directly off the exteriors of your building. A type of power washing that works really well with particularly stubborn mineral deposits is waterblasting, which pushes out water in such a way that it can unsettle long deposited minerals but without potentially harming the surface of your masonry.

For the really dirty walls, sandblasting may be required. This type of power washing involved the blasting of silica sand through an air blaster. The propulsion of the sand can etch away at even the most stubborn dirt and carbon deposits – but should be used only by professionals, as it can also etch away at your masonry if you’re not careful.

What you can expect after a power washing

Depending on the state of the building prior to the washing, power washing can improve the texture, color and surface of the bricks used to make up your building’s exteriors. As with any washing that removes the elements that have attached to your brick, the result of a power washing is that it uncovers what was there to begin with. If your bricks were in great shape to begin with, your exteriors will look as good as new.

Get help from Arrow Masonry and Exteriors

Since using power washing methods on your own could do damage to your building’s exteriors, you should really trust skilled professionals with cleaning you building this summer. Visit our website’s power washing page for more information about our services. You may also contact us by email, by using our online form, or by calling us at (312) 329-0750.

We’re looking toward a very hot summer in the Chicagoland area, if June is any indication of the weeks and months to come. If you run an office or manage a business complex or apartment building of some sort, you’re likely going to want to leverage air conditions to get your tenants through the heat without much complaint. Or, if you’re a homeowner, air conditioning is a must – why own a home in the first place?

However, if you have leaky windows or air conditioning ducts in your building, you’ll end up cooling the world outside as much (or more) than indoors. What are some ways to deal with buildings that leak cold air during the summertime?

Air conditioning ducts

According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, leaky air conditioning ducts can lose between 20 to 40 percent of the cooling energy of your building’s air conditioning unit. If you have a lot of people in your dwelling, 40 percent less cooling – let alone 20 percent – can be felt acutely by your sweaty, irritated occupants.

If your system’s ducts pass outside through a garage, attic or other building attachment, these is where a lot of that cooling energy can escape, according to the ASHRAE. You’ll want to make sure those ducts especially are insulated with a material such as mastic, a sticky material that can seal any duct leaks.

Leaky windows

An obvious way in which your air conditioning can become ineffective very quickly is if you have poor seals on your doors, windows and other openings in the buildings. If you find that your air conditioning is not very effective this summer, this is a great place to start.

Part of the function of air conditioners is to circulate air throughout the building to help level out particularly humid or warm rooms. If air is circulating throughout the building, the air will do what air naturally does and creep out even the tiniest of gaps and cracks in the walls around windows and doors.

Moisture leaks

A key purpose of air conditioning is to balance the humidity in the building. A balanced humidity level can help make buildings more comfortable for occupants; humidity levels that are too high – especially when it’s hot outside – can lead to physical discomfort, mold growth and other issues you’ll want to avoid.

That’s why you need to square away any water leakage in your building. Water leakage can occur form pipes throughout the building or during rainy weather, when rain can seep through your masonry.

Get help from Arrow Masonry and Exteriors

For more information on cool air leaks and our leak detection services, visit our website. You may also contact us by email, by using our online form, or by calling us at (312) 329-0750 for more information about the services we provide.

One of the most dangerous forces in nature is water. This is true for both shorelines and for homes. With spring having just begun, it’s time to prepare for spring showers and the potential damage they can bring to your home or place of business. Luckily, Arrow Masonry and Exteriors has some helpful tips – as well as professional services – that you can use to protect your investments this spring.

Buildings vulnerable to water

Waterproofing is a common preventative measure that is especially important this spring and summer. If your building is made of limestone, renaissance stone or single wythe brick veneer, your building is especially vulnerable. This is true as well for smooth and split-face concrete block buildings.

Your building is also vulnerable to water damage if it has properly functioning roofs, gutters and downsprouts. This means that your building’s exteriors will be exposed to running water. Or, any building exposed to windy thunderstorms or showers are vulnerable, as water can penetrate the masonry.

Why waterproofing helps

When you waterproof your masonry with an effective waterproofing agent, you are sealing the surface of the brick or other material against moisture that would otherwise enter the material and cause cracks or damage. We recommend different types of waterproofing agents for various types of building materials, such as an elastomeric sealant for a stone surface.

If you haven’t had your building’s masonry water sealed in more than five years, then you should get this service done for your building as soon as you can before spring showers start occurring frequently. Waterproofing sealants work best when they are applied every five years. A little extra money ahead of time can help prevent even costlier repairs if water damage causes your masonry to peal or deteriorate.

Get help from Arrow Masonry and Exteriors

For more information, including testimonials and before-and-after pictures, visit our website. You may also contact us by email, by using our online form, or by calling us at (312) 329-0750 for more information about the services we provide.