(a) Cleaning; Sandblasting. Original masonry and mortar shall be retained whenever possible without the application of any surface treatment. Masonry shall be cleaned only when necessary to halt deterioration and always with the most gentle method possible, such as low pressure water and soft natural bristle brushes. Brick and stone surfaces shall not be sandblasted, except in situations where this method is the only solution to cleaning and/or restoration. Sandblasting cleaning erodes the surface of the material and accelerates deterioration. Chemical cleaning prodauts which could have an adverse chemical reaction with the masonry material should not be used.
(b) Repair. Materials and ingredient proportions similar to the existing mortar shall be used when repointing. This will create a bond similar to the original. Repointing with a mortar of high Portland cement content may create a bond stronger than is appropriate for the building materials, possibly resulting in cracking or other damage. The original mortar profile, color, texture and bonding pattern shall be retained.
(c) Painting; Removal. The original color and texture of masonry surfaces shall be retained. Paint shall not be indiscriminately removed from masonry surfaces, because some brick surfaces were originally meant to be painted.
(Ord. 88-005. Passed 3-14-88.)