How to remove orange stain on bricks?

[PetaRufo]

Hi Community,

I live in remote western NSW and our 45 year old brick house has this stain on the window sills and around the entire bottom of the house. I have tried, chlorine, Bleach, vinegar and bi-carb and nothing budges it. Im not sure if it is engrained in the brick but I would love some suggestions on how to clean it. 

 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @PetaRufo,

If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say what you’re seeing is less of a stain and more likely a sealer that’s been applied to the bricks at some stage. Some sealers can darken or enrich the natural tones of brickwork, which in this case may be bringing out the orange colour. That would also make sense of why it appears under the windows and along the base of the house, as the previous occupants may have been trying to protect those areas from moisture ingress. The bricks on the window sill look like they have a bit of a sheen to them, which adds to the suspicion of a coating. However, if you've been in the home all that time, you would obviously know if they had been sealed.

You’ve really already tried most of the common cleaning methods for mineral or organic stains, so if it is a sealer or coating, it won’t shift with bleach, vinegar or bi-carb. Another possibility is that the bricks themselves have undergone some sort of internal reaction over time, causing a colour change. That’s not something I’ve typically seen, as usually bricks fade with age and sun exposure rather than intensify in colour. 

Let me tag @Nailbag to see if he has any thoughts.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[Nailbag]

Hi @PetaRufo 

You're probably well aware that many homes and public spaces in Perth use un-filtered bore water for irrigation due to the city's sandy coastal plain and readily available groundwater. This bore water often has a high concentration of iron and even more so in regional districts like yourself.

When this iron-rich bore water is sprayed onto footpaths, walls, driveways, etc. and then exposed to oxygen, the iron oxidises, turning into a rusty, reddish-brown color. Once embedded in to brick and stone it can be extremely difficult to remove. A property I maintain uses bore water for its irrigation system, Within 3mths it has completely pitted $15K worth of new pool fencing.

If you shop around you can buy bore-water cleaning liquids that you dilute and then elbow grease with a wire brush to remove it. Once gone (if successful), then seal the bricks to prevent it reoccuring and/or use a filtration system.

I've used this product before with mixed results on various surfaces other than bricks. It might be worth a go or go straight to a professional cleaning service.

Nailbag

[PetaRufo]

Thanks Nailbag,

Yes, it is a stubborn stain and I think it's the iron from the soil and water. I thought it would take a lot of elbow grease to remove it.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into it.

Much appreciated.