Masonry Magazine September 2008 Page. 24
CLEANERS AND SEALANTS
CLEAN
GREEN
AND
SEALED
Some of the changes in the way masonry products are cleaned and sealed relate to the "green" movement and environmental concerns, along with new masonry products such as manufactured stone and concrete brick.
Surebond's 58-1300 sealant protects the concrete at Anaheim, Calif.'s Edison Field.
By Tom Inglesby
HERE ARE ALWAYS COMPROMISES REQUIRED WHEN DEALING WITH CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS, NEW MATERIALS AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS. For example, new materials like manufactured stone veneers and concrete bricks have challenged contractors to change their ways of post-construction cleaning to prevent color damage and streaking.
"You use a different type of cleaner to do new construction clean down on thin brick than you do on either clay or concrete masonries," says Gary Henry with PROSOCO in Lawrence, Kan. "The main difference between the clay and concrete is that clay is acid resistant, and concrete is acid soluble. You need a certain amount of acid, just a small amount of highly purified, high-grade acid that is harnessed by surfactants and inhibitors and wetting agents.
22 Masonry
September 2008 www.masoncontractors.org
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