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Hard Surface Care

How to clean red brick with Sure Klean 600

September 19, 2014

We stand behind the performance of our products, but we know we can’t control how they’re applied out on job sites every day.

So we tapped into the expertise of our local manufacturer’s rep, Mike Dickey of Dickey Sales, and our own John Young, PROSOCO digital marketing manager, to come up with demonstrating how to clean red brick.

Dickey talks specifically about how to remove excess mortar from new red brick construction without harming the tool joint with Sure Klean 600. He explains how to determine your dilution rate, what adjacent surfaces should be protected, and the personal protective equipment you’ll need before starting.

Hard Surface Care

Painting masonry – how to do it the right way

Painting brick or other masonry can be a great thing - it can help a building meet a desired aesthetic, provide UV resistance, reduce deterioration and make it easier to clean. But, like all things, there's a wrong way to do it, which increases the likelihood of call-backs and headaches[…]

Hard Surface Care

Leave beautiful, interior masonry walls exposed — But, do it right

Over the last several decades, we've seen a greater appreciation for the renovation of historic buildings as industrial changes over time have necessitated their adaptations into new uses. Adaptive reuse is a much more favorable option than tearing historic architecture down and starting a new build, for many reasons. One[…]

Hard Surface Care

Spring cleaning dos and don’ts

We all know the feeling. That itch you get at the very first sign of winter giving way to spring, that compels you to clean. Surely there's a psychology behind this phenomenon, but the fact is - it's real. And it pertains to more than just your closets, dusty shelves[…]

Hard Surface Care

Cleaning and caring for clay brick v. CMU

Note: This article was originally published in the November 2021 issue of Masonry Magazine. While concrete masonry units (also known as CMU) and clay brick are two of the most commonly used masonry materials in construction, their chemical and structural makeup are not the same - meaning your cleaning and[…]

Concrete Flooring

The 411 on how to polish concrete – what you need to know

If you've decided to go with finished concrete floors in your home or commercial building, or maybe you're just concrete-curious, you're in good company. Finished concrete is a wonderful option for interior floors of all kinds. As a flooring topping, polished concrete is beautiful, durable, long-lasting, environmentally friendly and low-maintenance.[…]

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The great fresh air competition

The great fresh air competition by Paul Grahovac Building owners and operators compete for office tenants on such things as location, rent, energy use, amenities and upgrades.  Now they will be competing on fresh air. Recent BOMA articles have emphasized that notwithstanding the success of vaccination and the reduction in[…]

Hard Surface Care

Top 7 things we wish contractors knew about graffiti removal (and why it doesn’t have to be so hard)

Jake Boyer, head of PROSOCO's Clean & Protect Group, has seen all kinds of graffiti on all kinds of masonry. Here's what he wishes contractors knew before tackling any variety of graffiti removal job. Q1: What's the No. 1 mistake you see on graffiti removal jobs? […]

Hard Surface Care

What salt really does to surfaces and how to fix it

The harmful nature of salt   Every winter, municipalities, homeowners and facility managers use salt to de-ice concrete streets, sidewalks, driveways, bridges and parking garage pillars. This salt, however, can lead to serious problems on concrete and exterior hard surfaces: Cracks, spalling and deterioration. Not only is salt artificially added[…]

Air & Water Barriers

Everything You Need to Know About Conducting a Blower Door Test

Part of PROSOCO's Guide to Blower Door Testing By Sean Harris, Positive Energy You only get one chance to put together your building envelope correctly. Once you conceal it with siding and shielding, it's nearly impossible to fix. So, by not focusing on this crucial aspect of the building process,[…]

Hard Surface Care

Remove sealers from concrete with these simple tips

Combined with the right sealer, concrete is able to successfully withstand UV and water damage, wear and tear associated with long-term use, abrasions, freeze-thaw cycles, and exposure to the elements. A penetrating sealer for your concrete can give it long-lasting protection by altering its chemical makeup, reducing the need for[…]

Hard Surface Care

Downtown Chicago plaza restored with safer all-purpose cleaner

The Dirksen Federal Building on Dearborn Street in Chicago – officially known as the Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse – is a carefully secured facility that has housed some of the nation’s most well-known court cases. This 30-story, Mies van der Rohe design -- built in 1964 – is[…]

Hard Surface Care

Historic downtown KC landmark restored, repurposed

PROSOCO's ReVive gives life to revitalized downtown KC scene With 150,000 square feet of limestone standing 34 stories high, the Kansas City Power & Light building has prominently adorned the city's downtown skyline since its construction in 1931. The historic Art Deco-style building at 1330 Baltimore Avenue, designed by Hoit,[…]

Hard Surface Care

How to remove graffiti… well, it depends. Here’s why

By Jake Boyer Here's a question I get all the time: "What do you recommend for graffiti removal?" Sounds pretty straight-forward, right? But most of the time, my answer begins with, "It depends." That's because there are countless variables in every situation that should be considered from square one. After[…]

Hard Surface Care

Finally found a paint stripper that doesn’t need to be neutralized

It took nearly 30 tries before Bill Seidel of Streamline Finishes found a suitable paint stripper for a 700-unit, six-story building in downtown Los Angeles. Safety Peel 1 was safer for his crew and allowed him to save up to 40% on labor costs. Hear directly from Bill in the video below.  > Read the full case study[…]