Q: Is your product a paint?

No, our product is not a paint. Our products have been designed to penetrate the surface pore structure of clay bricks and/or mortar and/or concrete block and/or sandstone. Our products then bond to the walls of these pores permanently, attaching our colorants within the surface.

Commercially available paints are formulated as a surface coating and largely sit proud as a film coating of what they have been applied to. They also have been designed by the manufacturers to require repainting after a period of service. This is usually because the paint in service has either or faded, flaked off, gone chalky, blistered off, etc.

Nawkaw color treatments have been designed to be applied once only and to never need any further maintenance or re-application.

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Q: Will your product fade or wash out of the bricks and or mortar once you have treated them?

No. Bricks or mortar that has been recolored by our trained technicians won’t fade due to the UV radiation in the sun nor will they wash out causing a color change. We have thousands of jobs around the world (and hundreds of jobs in Australia) that are proof of this. In addition, we subject our products to accelerated weathering tests in more extreme conditions that would be found in service. Our products come through these extreme tests unscathed. For more detailed technical information, please refer to our technical information section.

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Q: How is the product put into the brick, and or mortar etc.?

This depends on the type of product that we are recoloring whether it be bricks only, mortar only, block only, or a combination of either, and the type of color change we are making.

Generally speaking, most of our application is done by hand, one brick at a time, or in the case of mortar, by hand inch by inch.

We use a variety of different techniques and methods for applying our color treatments. This includes brushing, sponging, rollers, rags, air brush, airless spray, etc.

The correct application is selected to give authentic, cost-effective results.

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Q: What is the product made of?

We manufacture and apply a number of products (please refer to our page Our Products for specific product information.).

Essentially, our products are based on water-based (or hydrous) emulsions with base polymers and copolymers and additives. These emulsions carry color fast, inorganic iron oxide pigments that are adjusted by our technicians on site to affect the job at hand. The chemist that designed these products for recoloring also developed some specialty products and auxiliary products to work with the recoloring emulsions.

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Q: Is the product environmentally safe when it is applied and after it has been installed?

Yes the product is environmentally safe. Wash up is with water, our color technicians remove any waste product from your site. Please refer to the Material Safety Data Summary (M.S.D.S) section of this web site.

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Q: Is your product available for DIY (do it yourself) application?

No, our product is not available to the DIY market for a number of reasons. The main one is that extensive on the job training is needed to know how to formulate and apply the color treatment (this often takes an average of two to three years experience). There is only one opportunity to recolor brick, so it has to be done right the first time for authentic, warranted results. Our products installed by our technicians carry a 25 year limited warranty available . Click here to see our example warranty available .

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Q: Can you recolor concrete driveways and paths, clay or concrete pavers with your products?

Our products and testing have been designed for installation into vertical masonry (bricks, mortar, blocks, and sandstone) usually erected in a wall as part of a home or building or fence. We can recolor horizontal surfaces as well and will only take these jobs on after viewing them to see whether our treatment is suitable. We usually don’t warrant jobs on pavers, drivers and pathways as we have no control over the conditions that they are going to be subjected to.

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Q: How long does your product last?

In excess of 25 years. Our accelerated weathering tests indicate that the product is unchanged after the equivalent of being weathered in the sunshine of energy approximate to exposure at a latitude of Rockhampton Qld. There is no reason to expect it to fail after this time. The colors don’t appear to be fading at the end of the exposure testing and there are no signs of disintegration either. Please refer to photos of accelerated weathering test samples.

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Q: How much does it cost?

This is a very difficult question to answer briefly, as this is not a commodity that sells down the hardware store in 4 liter tins.

Each project has different requirements with regards to materials, labor and travel and set up time components.

Each of these needs to be ascertained before we can give you a cost.

If you would like an estimate when you call be prepared to have the following information at hand.

Job site address, nature of the color treatment required, how many bricks ( or square meters that require treatment), whether the mortar requires treatment as well, or mortar only, what is the texture and features of the brick, what type of mortar joint is in existence( raked, ironed or rolled, flush etc),whether we are being asked to match new to old, to recommend an alternate brick to effect the match up with our treatment, whether the work is higher than can be reached of a normal extension ladder.

If you can provide us with this info, we can give a much better range on our quoted amount. Sending samples and photos showing the size and nature of the color treatment required will even help further in getting to a budget amount.

Alternatively you can arrange for a quotation and consultation on your site by contacting us on one of the methods below.

Email: Sales@nawkaw.com
Phone: 800-905-2692(US)

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Q: Why would I choose your product over cement rendering?

An improved unique appearance, will not spill or crack with movement in the wall or foundations, won't need repainting in 5-10 years. Also, cheaper to purchase.

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Q: If I'm not happy with the final color, can it be changed?

Yes, to an extent and at an additional charge.

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Q: Can your product be used to remove paint from brick walls, restoring the original brick color?

No, this would be done by using the appropriate paint removal products.

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Q: Does your company belong to any certified organizations or associations that would prove your credibility?

Yes, please contact us for more information.

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Q: Can I use your product to color my house blue, for example?

Yes, all colors are available. Some colors, formulated with chemical dye colorants, won’t carry our 25 Year Warrantythese colors include: bright blues, greens, yellows and reds..

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Q: Can your product be used to remove water damage and damp from brickwork?

No, the source of the moisture must be eliminated and the brickwork allowed to dry out. Nawkaw can then restore the brick colors to original in most cases.

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Q: Can you match the texture of old brickwork as well as the color?

This depends on the texture of a new available brick and its size being available. Nawkaw then provides the right color on this texture.

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Q: Can your product be used on stone walls, for example, to lighten sandstone?

Yes, however darkening stone is cheaper easier and the results are often better.

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Q: As a builder, I'm interested in ordering your product. How do I go about doing this?

For Nawkaw Head Office, contact- 630-681-1400 or one of our other Nawkaw Branches.

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Q: I live in an area not mentioned on your web site and feel I could make great use of your product. What should I do?

Please contact your closest Nawkaw office - Nawkaw Branches USA

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Q: My house is built on rock and I have water seeping in. Can your water repellent product be used to solve my problem?

No, our product is a water repellent and I suggest you contact a specialist waterproofing membrane company.

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Q: I'm interested in finding our about working for your company. What should I do?

For Nawkaw USA and Canada services, contact 630-681-1400 or look at Nawkaw - employment.

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Q: How can you warranty available your product for 25 years if you haven't been using it for this long?

Nawkaw products have been used for 22 years in North America in its current form. The product is cycled through accelerated weathering tests to prove that is capable of withstanding at least 25 years of normal weathering. Provided it has been installed by our qualified technicians and that the building meets industry standards, we back our product with our limited warranty available .

If you question was not answered please email us

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