It’s extraordinary how frequently we see botched concrete pressure cleaning like that shown in the photos below. By following these simple Concrete Pressure Cleaning Tips, this damage can be so easily avoided if the operator and equipment are up to scratch.
Which Country’s Flag Is This?
The problems are easily addressed if the equipment is suitable and the operator alert to potential problems.
Gouging
The gouging is caused by using too much pressure or a combination of too much pressure and too little water volume. The rings can be the result of leaving the rotary head in a fixed position, using too much pressure and/or insufficient water volume being used (the former translates to operator inattention whilst the latter can be traced back to inappropriate concrete pressure cleaning equipment).
It’s important to assess the situation prior to commencement of the concrete pressure cleaning project.
Determining Concrete Strength
We suggest you roughly determine the strength of the concrete and without unnecessarily complicating things you can presume that an exposed aggregate driveway is capable of withstanding more pressure than a wooden trowelled, plain concrete path (as depicted in the photos), in contrast to a steel trowelled (shiney finish) shopping centre car park capable of withstanding heavy vehicle traffic.
The residential/commercial paths/patio slabs are the most likely to cause you concrete pressure cleaning grief.
Choosing the right equipment, particularly when dealing with “soft” concrete is equally as important as your choice of operator.
Causes of Gouging
Gouging the surface can be caused by too much pressure with a low volume machine. Most commercial operators use a 5000 psi 21 litre per minute water blaster thinking that will be ok. Generally, if the operator is alert enough it is OK, however inexperienced operators can come unstuck as they move the rotary head too slowly across the surface in a vain attempt at being thorough. Hence the resultant “zebra” lines and, if they stop to answer their phone (heaven forbid – if they are driven to distraction by continuing to engage the trigger in a fixed position) …indelible rings, as shown in the photos above, will result.
The important thing to remember is that low volume equipment requires smaller jets on the rotary head, so when operating under high pressure the jets tend to cut into, rather than more evenly clean the surface. The cutting action is why you are more likely to get stones dislodging from exposed aggregate with that type of equipment.
Remedies
This can be largely overcome by using higher volume concrete pressure cleaning equipment in the order of 35 + litres per minute but set at a lower pressure of around 3000 psi. This type of equipment actually has more cleaning capability than the higher psi gear and it’s not necessarily using more water because it gets the job done faster.
Concrete Pressure Cleaning Tips
We purpose-build our own concrete pressure cleaning equipment to our own specifications, to address these issues so we can optimize the result without damaging the surface. Please click the following link for more detail https://www.waterworks.com.au/responsible-pressure-cleaning/
“Asleep at the Wheel” is a fairly apt photo title, and indeed, criticism of the operator …why you would continue doing this much damage, after it became obvious within the first 30 seconds, simply beggars belief.
When the high rise residential building opposite the Polo Club (Mary & Felix Streets) was being built roughly a decade ago the crane burst a hydraulic hose, showering the 127 year old building in oil from the roof down, requiring a heritage building clean.
We cleaned the whole building including the roof at the time and returned on a regular basis for routine cleaning of the lower front facade.
It hasn’t been cleaned for a number of years now, but some restoration work is now in progress necessitating another clean.
The building fronting Mary Street was almost black with carbon(road) grime and required special chemicals in combination with hot water pressure cleaning to restore it to an acceptable standard.
The pictures below tell the story, particularly the first one in the sequence, which shows the carbon deposits dissolving on the facade.
A Brisbane Landmark – Naldham House
And just down Mary Street we recently cleaned another heritage listed building, formerly the Belgian Beer Garden and now the Buffalo Bar.
Arriving in the early hours for both buildings ensures we don’t fall foul of pedestrian traffic, some of whom need to steady themselves before negotiating faster moving objects such as buses and taxis. Actually the early morning revellers are generally a good-natured lot, but our staff are reassured by the back-up they can give one another if things do go pear shaped. The Buffalo Bar facade also suffers from heavy soiling due to the high volume of traffic and requires a similar approach in cleaning technique.
Over almost three decades we list heritage building clean at Newstead House, Customs House, and the Old Museum at Bowen Hills among our clientele.
Buffalo Bar spruce up
Buffalo Bar looking good at dawn
This sprawling home in the leafy suburb of Chelmer had some Waterworks housewashing in late January 2015.
Originally we cleaned the roof of the client’s mum, who still lives in Ashgrove.
It was colorbond with a 45 degree pitch. She was impressed, so she recommended us to her daughter.
We had been to the Chemer residence some years ago to clean the upper roof, but this time it was overdue for all the roofs, housewashing, garages and adjoining walkway as well as the perimeter rendered brick walls.
The first couple of snaps give an idea of the condition of the garage roof, one of which shows a good before and after contrast in the same photograph.
The owner was delighted with the result and wants us back next time…in fact that happened recently in March 2017.
If you’re keen to know more about colorbond roof cleaning, just click this link: https://www.waterworks.com.au/roof-building-shopping-centre/
Would you believe, that as recently as May 2015 we were housewashing for a former Department of Transport Property Manager (now retired and living in Bardon) who was familiar with our work some twenty years previously. He refuses to go elsewhere, insisting we’re the best thing since sliced bread.
These are just two of several examples of satisfied clients returning year in year out for housewashing.
Even with new clients (more often than not on a recommendation of an existing client) we’re grilled on the following: –
- whether their gardens will survive the exercise
- what we do to protect the electrical wiring
- can we avoid water ingress through windows
- how will we manage to ensure the paint is not blown away
- can we avoid damaging the tiles on the roof (the last person broke some but didn’t tell us)
Often it’s because of some bad experience they’ve had previously. If you wish to find out more on this topic please click: https://www.waterworks.com.au/services/home-exterior-cleans/
Suburban Housewashing is just one of the things we’ve excelled at for over 30 years…we still have clientele dating back to when we first commenced in 1986. Three generations of our family are now involved.
If your home is in need of housewashing by someone who takes care to achieve the optimal result without creating problems such as those itemized above…then call us now on (07) 3300 6100.
This four level building cleaning task at 366 Queen Street, Brisbane commenced with internal restoration and is now available for leasing following an external makeover by Waterworks Professional Exteriors (WPE).
It’s an impressive combination of marble panels and glass, complete with a glass paneled awning over the footpath and grand entrance. The building cleaning commenced from the rooftop, and progressed down to the awning and ground level, respectively.
The first photo from the ground doesn’t quite capture the poor condition of the awning which was tainted by a green mould, however the after shot gives an idea of not only the awning’s improvement, but also the external glass above it, achieved using pure water in conjunction with water-fed extension poles fitted with soft brushes.
In an endeavour to minimize costs to the owners, WPE by-passed alternative access methods for building cleaning such as boom access, which would have involved expensive road closures, whilst achieving the desired result.
The other photos indicate the various methods (including safe work practices) used to successfully complete the building cleaning.
If you want your building cleaning to stand out from the rest, give the experts a call WPE on 3300 6100 for a free appraisal.
Putting the finishing touches to this project at Kelvin Grove involved building cleaning bricks by acid washing on this new building’s front facade.
Care needs to be taken and the right technique to avoid brick discolouration and damage to the window/door frames.
Call us on 3300 6100 for a free quote.
Regular building clean
We recently completed cleaning this Building situated opposite the P A Hospital on Ipswich Road, Buranda…for the umpteenth time, spanning a period in excess of 20
After the clean up
years…surely a ringing endorsement for the quality of our work … and all done without access equipment.An imposing 3-Story structure, it encompasses The Buranda Professional Suites, The Alexander Apartments and The Elizabethan Apartments which extend through to neighbouring Woolsley Street as well as The Victorian Apartment block, further down the Road. They provide much needed budget accomodation to seriously ill out-patients of the Hospital from all over country Queensland, as well as Interstate.
On each occasion we clean, not only the building clean repeat business, but also the hard surfaces, including entrance ramps (for wheel chair access), paths, pebble-tex internal corridors and driveways.
Slippery ramp a wheelchair hazard
Safer visit now to PA
Management, and more importantly, the residents are always pleased with the transformation…it puts a smile on their dial!
Another example of building clean repeat business involved the old COD (Committee of Direction for Fruit Marketing) Building at Brisbane Markets Rocklea. We first cleaned this building in 1988 but after the building had undergone a renovation and re-badging to the “Fresh” building, we returned for another wash-down. This took place in late July 2015, some twenty seven years later.
You’ll note from the photos that its looking every bit as Fresh again …
Fresh and clean again
This return visit spanned 27 years
The owners of this large western suburbs house watched us roof painting-insulation paint a neighbour’s roof before deciding they liked what they saw. They certainly had a birdseye view from their rear deck.
View from rear deck
We were invited to restore their concrete tiled roof without painting out the terracotta ridges, which they wanted retained for aesthetic purposes.
They also wanted to repaint in the same colour.
You’ll note that following a pressure clean it was looking a bit ordinary…
looking a bit ordinary after pressure cleaning
bare patches everywhere
Colour choices with Insulation Paint
Although they wanted to keep the same colour scheme they had reservations about the grey colour attracting the heat.
When Roof Painting – Insulation Paint was in its infancy it wasn’t kosher to stray from a variation on the Henry Ford choice of White or Off White…at least that was the case until Nutech’s revolutionary Thermal Protection Technology NXT Cool Zone hit the market.
Now consumers can reduce the temperature of their roof without sacrificing colour choice. Please click on the following link which illustrates the cooling benefits associated with this product https://www.waterworks.com.au/church-roof-restoration
This roof had previously been restored by another contractor who used a colour that wasn’t on any of the charts. No problem here. We just supplied Nutech with a sample and they came back within days with a perfect match.
Sealed, then two topcoats
Colorbond patio roof painted same colour too
Gable barges clear coated
Extended warranty
Please visit www.nutech.com.au for technical details regarding their product which comes with a 12-year warranty
Yes, you can actually save money with only a marginal increase in the restoration cost…ask us how with superior roof painting – insulation paint, simply…phone (07) 3300 6100.
Late June (2014) the Jackson Road Shopping Village roofs had some cosmetic surgery. The photo below, taken from the Tavern (at the Northern End) shows in excess of 5000 square metres of roof cleaning colorbond after the clean up.
One of the shopkeepers told us that the last time this was done they used one small machine that “took forever”. He couldn’t believe the overall transformation on this occasion. We always try to optimize the results …when all is said and done, that’s how we get invited back the next time and it’s probably why we’ve been around for over three decades. Incidentally, since this article was written in 2014, we’ve been invited back to do it again in 2016. Two years is just about enough for a large shopping centre’s colorbond roof, especially the lighter colours, with multiple cooking exhaust flues belching out pollutants combined with heavy traffic pollution as well.
So if you’re in the market, make sure you’re comparing apples with apples… do your homework …ask around and look for things like this on competitors’ websites.
Roof cleaning colorbond …It ain’t Rocket Science! …well not for us anyway.
Phone: 3300 6100
Guide Dogs Queensland engaged us for some roof cleaning commercial, throughout the Bald Hills complex in advance of a Graduation Ceremony attended by dignitaries including the Governor and Premier early in May 2014.
Just as moss grows on the south side of tree trunks, mould and lichen growth flourishes on roofs and particularly, light-coloured, colorbond roofs. Both our own personnel and the GDQ staff were naturally concerned for the welfare of the animals, given the requirement to use chemicals to produce an optimal result, despite plans to heavily dilute. Working together the Dogs were moved out of harms way. This took some doing given the odd shape of the training buildings and the large number of vehicles that also required moving on more than one occasion. Our gratitude goes to the GDQ trainers who took this disruption to their routine in their stride.
Most of the roofs are pitched at 45 degrees which doesn’t leave much margin for error on a slippery surface when all you have is a pair of Volleys on your feet (ropes & harnesses aside). Colorbond roofs become oxidized over time and can be restored by repainting. If you’re savvy you can kill two birds…using quality insulation paint. Dial 3300 6100 for a free quote.
We use and recommend Nutech Coolzone NXT*. Before this relatively new product became available, you had the choice of White or Pastel shades ….but you can now choose darker, more modern colours …Charcoal if you wish….and they really do reduce the temperature inside your home…and the product comes with a twelve year guarantee. What are you waiting for…SUMMER? * Refer to the Nutech website www.nutechpaints.com.au
If you’re not ready for a repaint but have some roof cleaning commercial project contemplated, pick up the phone and call (07) 3300 6100.
During a weekend in March this large heavy machinery hire facility’s concrete apron (approximately 2,500 square metres) near Ipswich was pressure cleaned before concrete sealing using airless spray equipment.
The owner, keen to keep the new concrete looking its best for the longer term chose a durable water and oil resistant, clear, penetrating product which was applied according to the manufacturer’s specifications, in two generous coats.
We’re often asked about concrete sealing but caution against choosing cheap products
and even cheaper applicators ….neither of which go the distance.
If you’re not sure, just call us for obligation-free advice on (07 ) 3300 6100.
