TECHNICAL INFORMATION

ASTM

Specifications for Facebrick: Conforms to ASTM C 216-13 Standard Specification for Facing Brick (Solid Masonry Units Made From Clay or Shale) Grade: SW, MW

Specifications for Paving Brick: Conforms to ASTM C 902-13 Standard Specification for Pedestrian and Light Traffic Paving Brick Class: SX, MX, NW, with Moulded Brick Alternate 4.1.5 Type: II, III                                                               (All Old Carolina® Facebrick can be used as paving brick)

Specifications for Thin Brick: Conforms to ASTM C 1088-10 Type TBA

Cleaning Instructions

PRACTICE FOR CLEANING OLD CAROLINA® HANDMADE BRICK

DO NOT PRESSURE WASH OR CLEAN WITH A WIRE BRUSH.  BUCKET AND BRUSH CLEANING IS RECOMMENDED.  ALWAYS CONDUCT A TRIAL TEST ON A SMALL AREA BEFORE PROCEEDING.

Recommended Cleaning Compounds:

NOTE: IF COLORED MORTAR IS USED, DO NOT USE ACID.

Bucket and Brush Method:

1. Wait for mortar to harden.  It is possible to start cleaning operations 5 to 7 days after completion of masonry work, depending on the type of brick and weather (drying) conditions.
2. Remove all large mortar particles with hand tools before applying water or cleaning solutions.  This is a very important point in cleaning new masonry.  Don't expect cleaning solutions alone to remove large particles of hardened mortar.  Cleaning solutions will only remove thin smears. 
3. Mask and otherwise protect adjacent metal, glass, wood, etc. surfaces as recommended by product manufacturers.
4. Saturate the wall with clean water.  The area to be cleaned must be saturated as well as all masonry areas below. A saturated wall will not draw particles from its surface into brick pores.  Use water generously.
5. Use brush to apply cleaning solution to saturated wall. Start cleaning at the top.  Concentration and method of application should be as recommended on container or by manufacturer.  Cover small area, using long handled fiber brush. Scrub brick, not joints.  Allow solution to remain on wall three to six minutes (or as recommended on label) as workmen scrape and scrub vigorously.
6. Rinse thoroughly as small areas are cleaned.  To avoid rapid evaporation of water on areas being cleaned, keep crew just ahead of sunshine.

For more information: BIA Technical Notes on Brick Cleaning

Paver Installation and Cleaning

Use Bricklayer’s Method for Old Carolina handmade brick pavers. This method uses a stiff plastic mortar for the setting bed and joint filling. The setting bed should be spread out over the bond coat in a small area ahead of the laying face and should be slightly thicker than the required thickness to allow for compaction when the pavers are pressed into place. The clay pavers should be buttered with mortar on the bottom and edges that will abut pavers that are already in place. The pavers are then pressed into the mortar setting at the correct level. Excess mortar will be squeezed out of the joint and should be cleaned off with a trowel so that it does not stain the surface. If the joint is not completely full, then additional mortar should be worked into the joint with a trowel. Mortar that has reached initial set prior to placement of the pavers should be removed and discarded. Joints should be tooled to the required profile when the mortar becomes thumbprint hard. The pavement should be cured under plastic sheeting or other methods to maintain moisture for at least seven days or as weather conditions dictate. It should not be opened to traffic until after this time.

An alternative to the bricklayer’s method is to set the individual brick pavers into a bed of thin mortar on a concrete pad, and allowing enough space for the joints to be filled with a grout bag.  Care must be taken to strike-off the excess mortar after it has sufficient time to harden, so that wet mortar is not smeared on the paver faces.

Another alternative is to dry set the brick on top of a bed of sand or washed screenings.  Clean sand can be swept into the joints after the brick are placed.

-Do not use the tile setter’s method where grout is floated into joints.  Handmade brick have a porosity that makes cleaning difficult.

-Do not use Polymeric sand or sand mixed with cement.  These products will adhere to the pores of the brick surface and make cleaning difficult.  Each brick has a degree of moisture that will cause the cement to harden on the paver faces, causing problems with cleanup.

-Do not pressure wash Old Carolina® handmade brick pavers.  The finish sand can be removed by pressure washing and aggressive cleaning.  Lay cleanly without smearing mortar on paver face.  If cleaning is required, use a medium bristle brush and water. 

-Do not use vibratory compactors.  Their use can damage handmade brick.

-Do not use muriatic acid based cleaners on handmade brick pavers, especially those with a lime coating, for example, Savannah Grey, Georgetown, and Brunswick.

-Do not seal brick pavers with a sealer coating.  Old Carolina® handmade brick pavers do not need sealing.

If efflorescence is observed, usually this can easily be hosed off with clean water.  Water travelling through brick and evaporating on the surfaces can dissolve soluble salts and deposit the salt crystals on the brick surfaces.  This appears as a white haze, and can typically be observed on new installations but will be eliminated over time.

Further information about clay paver use and installation can be found on the BIA website,   http://www.gobrick.com/technical-notes ,   Tech Notes 14, 14A, 14B, and 14C.

For further questions, please call the manufacturer, Old Carolina Brick Co, 704-636-8850