Summary
This presentation is intended to provide the principles of cleaning and protecting new and historic masonry construction. When planning a cleaning campaign, people often select a product according to the staining or soiling on the building. While this process is correct in part, this practice does not include consideration of the substrate that is being cleaned and often leads to the selection of an inappropriate product. This, in conjunction with the marketing misnomers of “green clean” or “one cleaner for everything” can result in catastrophic, irreparable damage to your historic masonry. During this session, you will learn how to identify your substrate, discuss typical staining and soiling mechanisms, and learn the protocols for cleaning and protecting masonry. Participants will learn procedures to develop their cleaning campaign and plan for continued maintenance of their masonry construction.
Learning Objectives
- Not all substrates are the same—know your stone.
- There are many staining and soiling mechanisms; they all behave differently
- Chemicals do not work alone—there are several factors that impact cleaning
- With so many cleaners on the market, where do you start?
- Water repellents vs. water proofers; Know the differences.
- Knowledge + planning + testing = avoidance of façade cleaning catastrophes
About Our Speaker
Al Morris is the National Sales Manager with PROSOCO, Inc. Morris has been involved the cleaning, coating and restoration industry for the last 20 years. He has been an active member of SWR Institute since 1994 serving on the board as well as charring several committees during this time. Morris is a Certified Consultant of Concrete Masonry (CCCM), a CSI Construction Document Technologist (CDT), and a member of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) where he is a NACE Certified Coating Inspector Level 3.