We always care about keeping our home or workspace clean. But what about the outside? The facades are the visible face of the buildings and their maintenance is just as important as the cleanliness of the interior. Carrying out a correct cleaning of facades influences, not only the aesthetics of the building but also its structure, since it helps to avoid humidity and leaks.
If you are looking for information on cleaning your facade, it is because your building needs good maintenance. Therefore, in SCS Cleaning we give you all the information to understand what are the reasons for the deterioration of the facades and what are the most recommended techniques according to the materials with which we build them.
Causes of the deterioration of the facades
The most advisable thing to ensure a correct state of the facade is to carry out periodic maintenance. And for this, you must contact a professional cleaning company that performs a personalized assessment. The first thing to do is discover what the causes of the deterioration are in order to establish an adequate frequency of cleaning, as well as the recommended techniques and products.
Among the main reasons for the deterioration of the facades, we can point out:
Pollution: gases emitted by vehicles, factories, etc. they can deteriorate the facades, blackening them.
Smoke or fires are another factor that can produce black spots or soot.
Humidity: one of the main causes of deterioration of facades. If the building has structural filtration problems, this will affect the aesthetics of the façade, causing the appearance of stains. But in addition, the appearance of mold can also affect the health of the neighbors and the internal structure of the building.
The human factor: graffiti is probably the second most common reason for dirt on facades. In addition, its cleaning is usually quite complicated.
The passage of time: the deterioration caused by passaging time is inevitable. However, with proper cleaning and maintenance, we can help reduce it.
Facade cleaning and its importance
Once the cause of the deterioration has been located, it is necessary to determine two more factors in order to proceed with the cleaning.
- Identify the type of facade cladding
- Consider if we have already carried previous cleaning treatments out
After assessing and considering these three points, we must select the most appropriate cleaning method depending on the characteristics of each job.
Pressure cleaning methods
Within the group of pressure cleaning methods, we can differentiate between two different types.
Facade cleaning with pressurized water
Facade cleaning with a water jet is the most common and used method and this is due to three different reasons:
- We can do it both for large buildings and for other types of smaller buildings.
- It is suitable for many facades, whether exposed brick, stone, glass, or metal. There is no risk of deterioration.
- In addition, another of the advantages it presents is that it offers a good result, with a deep cleaning, in a very short time.
Mechanical cleaning of facades with a water lance comprises using a high-pressure cleaning machine that expels hot or cold water under pressure, depending on the type of dirt. You should start at the top of the wall to remove all the dirt downwards, making horizontal movements so that the water drains off.
Facade cleaning with pressure sandblasting
We use this method when the stains are deep and the pressurized water is not enough to remove them. It is slightly more expensive and slow, but the result is more delicate, so we recommend it when the facades are built with fragile materials.
Chemical products for cleaning facades
Chemical products are normally used to clean facades and graffiti, when vegetation grows or when there are bird droppings that erode in the building. The company in charge of the cleaning will choose the best products based on each type of situation, always guaranteeing the best possible result.
However, it must be remembered that chemical disinfection methods require greater control and care than the previous ones. They can only be handled by specialized professionals. Dirt collection systems should be considered, as well as possible, waste generated after cleaning.
What is the best method of cleaning facades?
As we have just verified, there are multiple variables that determine the most appropriate type of cleaning for each case. The type of dirt to be treated must be taken into account, as well as the type of façade material. We cannot generalize the approach. Depending on the type of work, we must carry a personalized. Prior assessment to establish what the best cleaning and disinfection method will be.
