Firstly, we appreciate your trust in selecting products of Sahand Refractory Brick Industrial Group for your project; please pay attention to the flowing notes before installing the bricks.
Step1: installer recruitment
Step2: joint grouting
Step3: façade efflorescence
1.The installer must be recruited with high precision. At first, several samples of executive projects of the installer are observed to ensure his skill. Then the installer is reminded to use nylon cover after four or five rows of brick in order to prevent slurry on the bricks. It is very important point, because if the slurry is poured to the brick surface, it will penetrate into the brick bulk and darkens the building façade.
2. To prevent efflorescence in the building façade, we should use double-washed sand (for the slurry behind the brick). The slurry viscosity should be in ordinary range (neither such a low viscosity that the slurry drop nor such a high viscosity that the brick fall).
3.Concerning the above wall cap, the stone must have suitable slope and the drip groove below the stone should be deep so that prevent the water penetration in the brick when raining.
Flowing completion of the work, you should wait 7-10 days to let the air penetrate into the brick and the mortar to dry to start the grouting (This is very important note).
The grout should be soft. You should put the grout on the grouter and squeeze it in the joint.
Before grouting you should tell the worker to take utmost care as not to push the grout on the bricks, because it not cleans. Also, the worker should execute one square meter of the corner with various colors to choose the color of the grout as your own will and to see if he works well.
For general cleaning of the building façade after grouting completion, wait 2-3 more days to allow the grout to dry. Please never wash the façade by water for cleaning. You are recommended to use a brush (a hairy brush not wire brush or sack) by a skilled worker. The worker should put the brush in to water and clean the bricks from top to the bottom of the building (like waxing). Brush only the surface of bricks.
If you remind the above points to the worker in the beginning of work, your building façade will be clean from the beginning.
Firstly, it should be noted that the standard tests which are carried out daily, shows that the brick is free of any solute salt that is the responsible of brick efflorescence. So the brick will not form efflorescence itself. To test such a claim, you can pour water on brick 2 or 3 times per week and then allow it to be dried by air. You will observe that no efflorescence will be form on the brick.
The efflorescence is only formed as a result of the cement applied back side of the brick and we don’t know what kind of cement results in less efflorescence. You are strictly recommended to use double-washed sand in slurry preparation.
Despite of all the above mentioned notes, if you observed efflorescence on façade, don’t wash it by water. Washing by water will worsen the situation. The best way is to clean the façade by the soft and dry brush. The efflorescence will be removed gradually. Removal of efflorescence in summer is faster and winter. Finally if a part of facade covered by a huge volume of efflorescence, you may clean it with white vinegar and/or hydrochloric acid 10%, using a soft brush.
No resins are required. If you are recommended to use resin, you should apply it upon removal of efflorescence. If you apply resin on efflorescence, it would be takes a moldy state.
In recent years, self-cleaning materials (nano) is offered to the market which avoid penetration of water and dust into the bricks. In some projects, nano products are applied to the building facade in the last stage by spray or brush in order to clear any efflorescence or cement poured on the brick. In fact, nano products only avoid penetration of water and dust to the brick and have no effect on efflorescence removal after formation.
Finally, we thank you for reading of this instruction.