Brick & Masonry Cleaning

Modern brick (roughly post-1950) is kiln-fired hard and tolerates moderate pressure — 1,000–1,500 PSI with a wide tip is generally safe on the brick faces themselves. The mortar between them is always the weaker material and erodes first if pressure is misused.

Pre-war and historic brick is a different material entirely. Older bricks have a hard fired outer skin over a softer core; blast through that skin with high pressure and the brick begins spalling — flaking apart — with every freeze-thaw cycle afterward. Historic masonry should only ever be cleaned with low pressure and appropriate chemistry, and any company that quotes a historic home without asking its age is a red flag.

This is why professional brick cleaning leads with chemistry: a sodium hypochlorite solution for organic growth, or a masonry detergent for general grime, applied at soft-wash pressure, dwelled, and rinsed at the lowest pressure that gets the job done.

Set expectations before booking — some brick discoloration is dirt, and some is the brick itself:

Water is brick's long-term enemy, and failing mortar joints are how it gets in. Before any wash, inspect the joints: crumbling, cracked, or recessed mortar means water from even gentle washing enters the wall cavity. If a screwdriver scrapes mortar out easily, the wall needs repointing before it needs washing.

A good masonry cleaning company checks this on their walkthrough and will tell you if washing should wait. Washing first and repointing after is backwards — fresh mortar needs 28 days of cure time before it can be washed, so the correct order is repoint, cure, then clean.

Whole-house brick washing typically runs $250–$600 for an average single-story home, with two-story homes adding 30–50%. Brick patios and walkways price similarly to pavers at $0.50–$1.50 per square foot. Chimney exterior cleaning as a standalone runs $150–$350 depending on height and access.