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Brick Technical Information

At Complete Lintels Building Supplies, we provide practical guidance to help you get the best results with your brickwork. Our resources cover key topics such as correct bricklaying and cleaning techniques, routine maintenance to manage issues like efflorescence, and best practices for parapet walls. You’ll also find tips on stain removal and long-term care, ensuring your brickwork stays strong, durable, and looking its best for years to come. As an Associate Member of Think Brick Australia, all information provided here is endorsed by Think Brick Australia, giving you confidence that our guidance aligns with leading industry standards.

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Build smarter, not harder. The factsheets below give you clear, practical tips on laying, cleaning, safe delivery, and ongoing care — helping you avoid common issues like efflorescence and stains. Backed by Think Brick Australia, these resources are your go-to for durable, great-looking brickwork.

Brick Maintenance

What topics are covered in this factsheet?

  • Explains the cause of white salt deposits on brick surfaces and provides practical cleaning and prevention methods, from dry brushing to professional treatment

  • Outlines the purpose of parapet walls and gives maintenance advice, including correct capping, flashings, and inspections to prevent staining and water ingress

  • Details the role of damp-proof courses and flashings in keeping moisture out of masonry, with guidance on inspection, rectification, and improving weatherproofing

  • Highlights the importance of weepholes in drainage, with maintenance tips to keep them clear of debris, landscaping, and blockages

  • Covers how to spot and repair cracks in mortar, explains repointing, and stresses good drainage to extend the life of masonry walls

Delivery Onto Slabs

What topics are covered in this factsheet?

  • Explains the strength development of concrete slabs (75% at 7 days, 100% at 28 days) and stresses that no loads should be placed prematurely without structural engineer approval

  • Outlines dead, live, and service loads, with a simple calculation for pallet capacity. Provides typical pallet dimensions, weight limits, and safety reminders for handling and storage

  • Recommends placing loads on lower floors for stability and safety, with references to relevant safety standards and electrical hazard considerations

  • Covers safe use of cranes, forklifts, and trucks in slab deliveries, including risk assessments, licensed operators, and adherence to Safe Work Australia guidelines

  • Provides best practices for tidy, safe work sites — designated storage areas, spacing, delivery timing, and isolating delivery zones to reduce hazards

  • Notes that double stacking of masonry is only permitted in Western Australia and generally not recommended due to safety risks

  • Includes a practical checklist for site managers and workers to verify slab strength, load weight, machinery, safety briefings, and proper load distribution before each delivery

Efflorescence

What topics are covered in this factsheet?

  • Recommends cleaning brickwork 7 days after completion (or 24–36 hours with water only). Warns that waiting too long makes mortar stains harder to remove

  • Provides five key tips: keep bricks dry, use correct mortar consistency, clean as you go, tool and dry brush after 5–10 minutes, and avoid wet sponging

  • Lists 10 best practices (e.g. clean as you lay, saturate walls, wash off solutions fully) and 10 mistakes to avoid (e.g. leaving mortar, using recycled water, turbo heads)

  • Explains step-by-step procedure: saturate walls, apply diluted acid or green solutions, wash off with controlled pressure, and neutralise to restore pH balance

  • Highlights safe practices such as test cleaning, protecting adjacent materials, identifying stains before chemicals, and avoiding high-pressure or direct jets

  • Details causes and solutions for common stains like efflorescence, iron oxide, calcium deposits, vanadium, manganese, and petroling, with recommended chemical treatments

Leading Practice Guide to Bricklaying and Cleaning

What topics are covered in this factsheet?

  • Lists common causes including soluble salts in mortar, poor detailing of damp-proof courses or flashings, improper storage of materials, sea spray in coastal areas, and wind-driven rain

  • Efflorescence requires three conditions: (1) presence of soluble salts, (2) excess moisture entering the masonry, and (3) evaporation that deposits salts on the surface

  • Advises dry brushing with a stiff brush, vacuuming, and wiping with an absorbent cloth. Strong acids or excess water should be avoided. For persistent cases, weak phosphoric or green acid solutions may be used, with neutralisation

  • Recommends proper site management: storing bricks off soil and covered, avoiding water exposure during construction, correct mortar consistency, and detailing brickwork to minimise water ingress (cappings, flashings, damp-proof courses, and sealed control joints)

  • Do: store masonry correctly, use proper mortar, detail to prevent moisture ingress, and treat with brushing/wiping.
    Don’t: leave bricks uncovered, overwater mortar, expose walls to sprinklers/hoses, or use harsh acids/excess water for cleaning

  • Highlights that improper storage or exposure during construction is one of the leading causes. Stresses keeping materials covered, off soil, and protected from rainfall and prevailing winds

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