Cleaning Downtown Sanford’s Century-Old Brick and Mortar

Downtown Sanford is one of the few places in Central Florida where the buildings are actually older than the driveways we usually clean. Brick storefronts, exposed masonry, and original mortar joints along the historic district have survived over a century of Florida humidity, hurricanes, and foot traffic. They won’t survive a careless pressure washer.

If you own or manage a property along Sanford’s historic corridor — a storefront, a restaurant, an office in a converted building — here’s what actually matters when you’re getting the exterior cleaned.

Why Old Brick and Mortar Needs a Different Approach

Modern brick is fired harder and mortar is mixed stronger than it was 100+ years ago. Century-old mortar joints are softer by comparison, and they’re the first thing to fail under high pressure. Blast a historic wall the same way you’d blast a driveway, and you’re not cleaning it — you’re eroding the joints, driving water behind the brick face, and setting up problems (spalling, trapped moisture, joint failure) that show up months later, not immediately.

Downtown Sanford’s setting makes this worse, not better. The brick sits near Lake Monroe, so humidity, algae, and mildew build back up quickly no matter how the surface was cleaned. That means the method matters more here than almost anywhere else we work.

What We Actually Do Differently

Test before we touch the whole wall. On any building we haven’t cleaned before, we start with a small, low-visibility section and check how the brick and mortar respond before committing to the full exterior.

Low pressure, longer dwell time. Soft washing relies on the cleaning solution doing the work — breaking down algae, mildew, and grime — rather than physical force. The pressure stays low enough that it won’t strip mortar or drive water into the wall assembly.

Mortar joints get specific attention, not just the brick face. Joints are where moisture problems start, so we treat them as part of the job, not an afterthought.

Sidewalks and storefront concrete get a separate pass at controlled pressure, since foot-traffic surfaces can safely take more than a masonry wall can.

When to Call a Professional Instead of Renting a Pressure Washer

If your property is anywhere in Sanford’s historic district, a rented consumer pressure washer is the wrong tool almost every time — the pressure is hard to control precisely, and there’s no room for a mistake on masonry this old. The same goes for any building with original brick, painted brick, or century-old mortar, even outside the historic core.

If you’re not sure whether your property qualifies as “handle with care,” ask before it gets pressure washed the wrong way once.

City Power Washing provides concrete, brick, and paver cleaning and storefront and retail exterior cleaning throughout Sanford and Central Florida. Get a free estimate for your downtown Sanford property.

(386) 888-2320 | Get Free Estimate

About the Author

Tim Schultheis