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How to prevent and remove efflorescence on brickwork. How to remove efflorescence on a brick house, protecting bricks from efflorescence Remedy for salt on bricks

The appearance of brick buildings is often spoiled by whitish spots and stains. The plaque is called efflorescence, and it has several causes. Knowing the basics of choosing masonry materials, preventative measures and methods for cleaning a brick facade will allow you to preserve its original color and texture.

Harm from efflorescence

White spots represent a layer of salts released in the composition aqueous solutions. Efflorescence remains after water evaporates or freezes from the surface. Salts inevitably spoil bricks, contribute to the appearance of chips and cracks, and the situation is subsequently aggravated by the action of wind and precipitation.

The appearance of efflorescence not only worsens appearance, but can also lead to a gradual complete destruction facing brick. If salts begin to protrude inside the masonry, gaps may form in the structure, reducing strength. Efflorescence on brickwork anywhere is a serious problem that cannot be ignored.

Reasons for education

The appearance of spots is caused by a number of reasons. Some are associated with violations of brick manufacturing technology, others are a consequence of unprofessional work of builders. To summarize, we can name the following main factors contributing to the appearance of efflorescence:

• excessive addition of additives during the brick production process;
• changing the ratio of components in the manufacture of installation solutions;
• a large amount of lime in brick raw materials or working mixtures;
• increasing the time for soaking bricks before starting work;
• construction in the rain or snow.

The quality of the raw materials used in the manufacture of bricks is of great importance. Alumina initially contains moisture, which dissolves natural salts. When using hard water, the salt concentration increases. An additional amount of salt impurities can be introduced by unwashed sand from quarries, which will later cause efflorescence.

The quality of the soil on which the structure is built can also aggravate the situation. Masonry located close to chemical plants is especially prone to damage. Aggressive components environment can be adsorbed by bricks.

A clear answer to the question of why it starts to turn white brick facade, cannot be given. It is necessary, if possible, to get rid of all negative factors at the construction stage. Subsequently, the facade is cleaned and coated with protective water-repellent compounds.

Preventive action

It is easier to foresee any problems in advance than to deal with them later. All products used should be taken only from trusted manufacturers who do not violate technology.

It is known that there are additives that allow you to save energy when firing bricks. It is beneficial for enterprises to use them, especially in the production of clinker products, but quality suffers as a result and efflorescence appears.

To reduce the dissolution of salts in the brick mass, special plasticizer compounds are used. Centuries ago, various natural substances were used to increase plasticity, for example chicken eggs. Modern means include different components, among which the following are most often used:

• petroleum products;
• higher fatty acids;
• natural resins;
• synthetic organosilicon compounds.

The timeliness of plastering of the masonry is of great importance. If damp walls If you start plastering from the inside without waiting for complete drying, then in the spring spots may appear on the outside.

The cause of efflorescence on bricks may be construction work during the wet season. If it starts to rain, the masonry must be covered with protective polymer sheets, preventing it from getting wet.

Before starting work, bricks should not be kept in water for a long time. Using too liquid solution for laying also increases the likelihood of efflorescence on the brick.

When drawing up a house project, the climate and soil composition must be taken into account. This will allow for the need to protect the walls from getting wet. The foundation must be properly protected horizontally waterproofing layer. There must be a gap between the walls, insulation and cladding for ventilation. For finishing facades, dry mixtures are preferred, which must be diluted with water in strict accordance with the manufacturers' recommendations.

There can be many reasons for the appearance of efflorescence. Understanding the problems will help you avoid or reduce the number of defects.

Removal methods

If stains begin to appear, you need to immediately take measures to eliminate them; you should not put it off for later. There is a misconception that the salt layer should simply be washed off with water. Treating the surface with water will cause the salts to dissolve and move inward. Such a wash will only worsen the damage to the masonry. Cleaning bricks from efflorescence can be carried out mechanically or using chemical cleaning mixtures.

Mechanical cleaning

To remove stains by mechanical means a lot is needed physical strength. The surface must be thoroughly rubbed with hard brushes until the entire white layer can be removed. With a small area of ​​damaged surface, this can be done.

Advice! If a large area is damaged, you can use a drill with special nozzle in the form of a brush. This device makes it easier to remove salt deposits.

Great luck - availability sandblaster. The work must be carried out competently in compliance with safety rules. Using a compressor, a stream of air with sand is pumped onto the contaminated surface, under the influence of which not only white salt stains are removed, but also residues concrete mixture, stains of soot, paint, mold, moss. Work must be carried out wearing a mask and goggles to prevent particles suspended in the air from reaching the mucous membranes.

Detergents

Judging by the reviews, good results are provided by special cleaners presented in a varied assortment. In most cases, universal formulations help to successfully cope with the problem.

First, the product must be diluted in water according to the instructions, then apply the solution to small area masonry After a few minutes, in accordance with the recommendations, the composition can be washed off with water. Then the wall should be thoroughly dried and covered with a hydrophobic layer, which will penetrate several centimeters deep and provide reliable protection for a long time.

If you can’t buy special compounds, you can get by homemade solutions of hydrochloric acid with a concentration from 2% to 4%. If the layer of salt stains is thick, the mass fraction of acid in the solution should be increased to 6%. Work on cleaning brickwork with hydrochloric acid solutions must be carried out wearing a mask, since acid fumes are harmful to the body.

Note! Good effect provides treatment with solutions of conventional detergents, to which is added acetic acid at the rate of 3 tablespoons of food vinegar per bucket.

To remove efflorescence, some experts recommend treatment with a solution of copper sulfate, obtained by adding 1 part of the substance to 9 parts of water. For a number of reasons, the method is questionable. Copper salts can disinfect the surface, but how they should dissolve the deposits of other salts is not entirely clear. Besides copper sulfate can stain the brick bluish or give it a strange tint.

Other craftsmen testify that the solution helps get rid of stains ammonia. The recommendation is also very dubious. Perhaps in certain geographical areas with the predominance of acidic salts, weakly alkaline solutions of ammonia worked. Everyone should not follow this advice.

Efflorescence on walls is a long-known problem. The population with normally increased aesthetic requirements, who do not want to see dilapidated buildings, can use a variety of opportunities to prevent and eliminate defects.

Have you noticed how a white coating forms on brickwork, most often freshly laid. These are salt deposits. They not only spoil the appearance of the masonry, but also lead to destruction of the brick surface.

Let's consider the question: efflorescence on bricks - how to deal with them, and why they occur. By the way, we note that everything said below also applies to others wall materials gas silicate, foam concrete, etc.

Why does masonry become covered with a white coating?

The explanation of why brick turns white is not complicated. The brick material contains various salts and other soluble compounds. Also thanks capillary effect, they can move into its thickness from the masonry mortar, thermal insulation materials, other building structures and soil.

With increased humidity of the walls, soluble alkaline components from the masonry mortar appear on the surface of the wall, and after drying, the salts crystallize.

What contributes to increased formation of efflorescence?

Lack of waterproofing and contact with the ground is the cause of efflorescence

The following factors contribute to the intensive formation of efflorescence:

• Incorrectly selected components for making bricks. Clay or sand may contain a large amount of water-soluble substances that do not change their properties even when fired.
• Violation of brick production technology, poor-quality drying before firing or the firing itself.
• The presence of impurities in sand for preparing masonry mortar.
• Additives to masonry mortar. When carrying out construction work in winter time, salt or antifreeze reagents are added to the solution. Excessive amounts of them lead to the need to remove efflorescence from the brickwork.
• Influx of salts from the soil. Please note that most often this defect appears on the masonry of the base or brick fence. This indicates that waterproofing is either missing or done incorrectly.
• Waterlogging of the wall due to precipitation. After prolonged slanting rains, many people have to decide how to remove efflorescence from brickwork.

Rain is one of the reasons for the appearance of plaque

• Moisture can also get in due to roof defects. when water flows over the wall surface due to faulty gutters.

• Bird waste products can also contribute to the formation of efflorescence., for example, pigeons that have taken up residence in the attic.
• If the building is located near a busy road, then salt can get splashed from passing cars or during the work of road services.
• Also, if there is a large production nearby, not worrying about his environmental safety, then salts can fall on the wall with wind and atmospheric moisture. Note that efflorescence associated with such a hit harmful substances, may or may not have White color and, for example, green.

For example, almost always near large cement production plants the walls and roofs of buildings are covered with white or gray coating. The photo below shows how dirty all the cement production buildings (Krasnoselsk, Belarus) are gray from wind-blown industrial emissions of chalk and clay. If your house is located by the sea, then salt may get on the walls simply from water evaporation.

Is efflorescence dangerous for the building structure?

Although, at first glance, they only spoil the appearance of the building, in many cases, after their appearance, peeling may begin upper layers bricks

Everything depends more on which salts protrude more to the surface:

• The most dangerous salts are those that are soluble in water.. In addition, with frequent temperature changes from salt, frost resistance also decreases.
• Almost always, the formation of plaque is associated with an increase in the porosity of the brick. Due to the presence of impurities, water freezes more slowly and destruction occurs faster. Wind and rain complete the job; in geology, such destruction is called weathering.
• This phenomenon is known to everyone on the roads., when intensive treatment with anti-icing reagents causes the asphalt to become covered with cracks and potholes.

How to avoid efflorescence

When constructing a new building, so that there is no need to clean the brick from efflorescence during operation, you need to take all measures to ensure that they do not form. Therefore, we fulfill the following requirements.

Selection of material

• We use only high quality bricks. Even if the manufacturer guarantees that this defect cannot appear on its material, we will try to verify this ourselves. To do this, it is best to try to find any building built from bricks from this plant and see if plaque has formed there. Sometimes it is enough to walk around the site where the shipment is made and find an old batch, then it will immediately be clear: the facing brick is why it is turning white. There are bricks that are intended only for interior work, they cannot be used for the facade. Also most susceptible to the formation of efflorescence is brick, for the formation of which a mixture with increased content lime, so we are interested in this too.

Advice. A significant inclusion of lime in the molding composition can be seen visually; these are white lumps near which the ceramics often begin to swell. Refuse such material - it is of poor quality.

• It is advisable to use sand for masonry mortar that is not mined from a nearby quarry (often even illegal), but purchased from a building materials supplier. It is best to choose a washed solution from crushing screenings. As a last resort, sand from the quarry can be washed with water.
• Slag Portland cement (SPC) is most conducive to the formation of efflorescence; therefore, for masonry external walls we select only Portland cement without additives (designation for example PC M500 D0, the number after “D” is the percentage of additives).

Portland slag cement is one of the causes of efflorescence

• It is also undesirable to add lime to the masonry mortar, although previously masonry was generally carried out using lime mortar. To make the mixture more plastic, it is better to use a factory plasticizer.
• Often the source of salts is the water used to mix the solution. Therefore, it is better not to take it from the nearest open reservoir, but to use a water supply or technical one. As a last resort, submit it for analysis.

Attention. One of the signs of a significant content of dissolved substances, which will later become efflorescence, is excessive water hardness. It can be determined by the following criteria: when boiling, a lot of scale is formed, and the soap lathers poorly.

• If possible, we do not use anti-frost additives or salt at all, but build in the summer. Please note that the problem of how to remove efflorescence most often arises for buildings in which brickwork and concreting were carried out at subzero temperatures.
• There is a practice when compounds are used instead of plasticizers household chemicals- shampoos, soaps, detergents. This cannot be done; they almost always contain water-soluble salts. The price for such surrogates of special compositions may be less, but then the problem arises - how to get rid of efflorescence on the brickwork.

Construction of the building and technology of its construction

As mentioned above, salts and sulfates may often not be contained in the brick itself, but come from outside. Therefore, we take a very responsible approach to both the structure’s design and construction technology. Main principle- as little water as possible, then you won’t have to think about how to remove efflorescence on the brick.

We meet the following requirements:

• Firstly, we do not store bricks on outdoors without protection. Even standard pallet packaging plastic film does not provide adequate protection from moisture. In general, it is advisable to use dry and warm rooms.

• Secondly, we do not carry out masonry work during the rain. We cover the erected sections of the walls with film or tarpaulin.
• It is undesirable to work in winter, even introducing special additives (they are also a source of salts).

• Another mistake is when, having erected walls at positive temperatures in the summer, they begin to dry them in winter, heating the building, while simultaneously plastering or tiling the inside. Due to the peculiarities of mass heat exchange, all moisture will tend to the outer surfaces, and in the spring you will have to decide how to remove efflorescence from the brick.
• We do not delay the work on the construction of the remaining elements of the structure. There is no need to take breaks before starting the roof installation. The masonry must be closed as quickly as possible and drains installed.
• When designing a house, it is desirable that the roof protrudes beyond the perimeter of the walls as much as possible. If we are going to build a fence from brick, then we think about protecting its top with a canopy made of any roofing material.
• Be sure to do waterproofing, this is the most effective way how to avoid efflorescence on brickwork. At the same time, we not only isolate the base from the walls, especially if it is also brick. It is advisable to have another barrier between the poured or prefabricated foundation and the masonry. Be sure to use coating or pasting to protect the base fill from contact with the ground.
• We make a blind area with slopes around the walls.
• We drain rainwater away from the house, the best option– we make a special storm drainage system.
• We prepare the masonry mortar with minimal shrinkage (not big amount water).
• The practice that many craftsmen use is not applicable - in order for the solution to stick to the bricks better, they pre-soak them in water. After such a procedure, you will definitely have to look for a way to get rid of efflorescence on brick.

• When laying, we seal the seams as much as possible, trying to ensure that the solution does not get on outer surface walls.

When the wall is already covered with efflorescence

If the wall is already covered with plaque, then you need to immediately remove the efflorescence on the brick. They not only spoil the appearance, but can also lead to destruction of the material, as mentioned above. We proceed as follows.

We determine the cause of the plaque and, if possible, eliminate it

First of all, we are not fighting the consequences (we are looking for a remedy for efflorescence on bricks), but rather the factors that caused the defect to appear. We have listed possible reasons higher.

• If high humidity walls is caused by moisture entering from the outside, we try to block this path for it. We inspect and repair roofs and gutters.
• Waterproofing is more difficult; it is difficult to restore it between sections of walls. But you can try to do it using liquid sealant.
• Also, if possible, we expose the foundation and glue or coat it waterproofing materials. We definitely restore it or (if it didn’t exist) make a blind area.

Removing efflorescence

First you can try to wash off the deposits hot water and brushes. It is not recommended to use hard metal ones; they cause mechanical damage to the surface and can carry along pieces of mortar from the seams. But the higher the temperature of the water, the better (not forgetting about safety measures) the better the salts dissolve in it.

For the same reason as metal brushes, you should not use extreme pressure (for example, wash off with a sink). high pressure, the so-called “Kärcher” at maximum pressure, although this unit can greatly facilitate the work). You can add a small amount to water detergent, although it does not interact with most salts, it will help get rid of grease stains on the surface.

It is quite possible that this method will not work; many salts are poorly soluble in water. For example, calcium and iron carbonates are practically insoluble in water.

Attention. Many substances that make up plaque over time pass from a state of readily soluble to insoluble. Therefore, the fight against efflorescence cannot be put off until later.

In this case, a special product for removing efflorescence on brick will help. You can buy it at any hardware store. The instructions that come with them will tell you how to prepare the solution and work. The video in this article shows an example of working with one of the varieties of these compositions.

If such mixtures are not available, then decide how to remove efflorescence from the facing brick You can prepare the product yourself. Apply a weak solution of hydrochloric acid (2-5%), or dissolve vinegar in water. This method can help, although not always. It can also cause minor damage to the surface. After treating with such solutions, wash off the walls with plenty of water.

Attention. Special means to remove efflorescence, they contain acids and other substances harmful to humans. Therefore, we make sure to wear special clothing and gloves, protecting our eyes with a mask or at least goggles.

After the plaque has been removed

Having removed the plaque, even if its causes were not due to external factors, and in the peculiarities of the wall material itself, you need to try to make sure that it does not appear in the future, or at least it does not happen very quickly. To do this, protect the brick from efflorescence.

In addition to eliminating the causes that contribute to their formation, after drying, be sure to treat the masonry with a water repellent - a special compound that repels water. It is not a bad idea to carry out this operation for new walls, even if efflorescence does not appear on them.

Attention. Drying should be natural, without the use of external heating devices (heat guns, infrared lamps and emitters). Intensification of the process of removing moisture from the solid wall can also contribute to the appearance of efflorescence.

We will be glad if with our short article we helped you understand what efflorescence on brick is - the reasons for its appearance and methods of dealing with white plaque on the walls. We told you how to avoid its occurrence in the future, because the masonry of the walls of the house must be clean and durable.

White plaque on brick

Very often you can encounter a situation when an almost new building or any other brick structure begins to become covered with a white coating. And over time, the area of ​​white spots only increases. These are the so-called “efflorescences”.

Typically, plaque is visible on a red, glossy or decorative brick, but also white sand-lime brick, foam concrete, a natural stone and even slate is susceptible to its effects.

The appearance of efflorescence on a brick means the slow destruction of the surface.

White plaque on the brick is salts that can fall on the surface during rain or snow, and can also be contained in cement mortar, or get into the masonry with various additives, for example, for quick hardening.

Very often, the appearance of white spots can be a consequence groundwater and poor foundation waterproofing.

During drying and evaporation, the water tends to outward, and the salt crystallizes, leaving white or even green spots on the surface, and as a result, the brick cannot withstand and first begins to lose its aesthetic appearance, and then completely collapses.

How to most effectively approach this issue?

There are many methods of removal, but it is important to remember that there are a huge number of types of salts, and thus the approaches to removal will vary.

To begin with, you can try to wash off the plaque running water and clean with a brush.

But if this method does not work, then feel free to go to hardware store and purchase a chemical cleaner specifically for stains on brick. Fortunately, on this moment, there are plenty of such cleaning products on sale, but they may differ in composition and are intended for certain types of salts.

In such a situation, it is better and cheaper to buy several types of cleaners and experimentally determine which one is more suitable for you than to order chemical analysis efflorescence on the wall.

Determining and calculating the amount of cleaner for a specific area is quite easy. Approximate consumption is written on each package. The substances contain various acids and chemical elements Therefore, it is necessary to strictly follow safety precautions. Wear rubber gloves, goggles and a respirator, as well as clothing that protects the surface of the skin.

How to remove white plaque on brick? The chemical must be diluted with the specified amount of water indicated on the package. Next, the resulting solution must be applied to the damaged areas of the wall, and you can use a brush, roller or other equipment. Leave for the period of time specified in the instructions and rinse with water using a brush.

If the surface of the wall was covered with a large amount of salt, and the first time it was not possible to clean it completely, you should do this operation again. At the moment, existing chemical substances cleaners allow you to completely get rid of white deposits on bricks. Your surface will be like new and you will get rid of the problem of how to remove white plaque on brick for a long time.

DOCKER FASADE is a product for removing efflorescence. Designed for quick and effective removal of efflorescence from various mineral surfaces. Penetrates deeply into the surface, dissolving and removing salts throughout the entire depth of impregnation. Does not change the properties and structure of the surface. Removes salts mainly of carbonate, lime and sulfate origin. Concentrate. No chlorine. Economical consumption. Fast acting (5-10 min.)

Brick buildings are built by people who value solidity, strength, long term services of the building and its appearance. Brick is an expensive building material, and it becomes all the more offensive when a new building, in the construction of which a lot of money was invested (which, according to the owner’s calculations, should guarantee excellent quality), suddenly takes on an appearance as if it was time to renovate a long time ago. White or, even worse, greenish stains and streaks on red brick buildings not only look disgusting - they destroy the brick and accelerate the aging process of structures made from it. Therefore, they need to be eliminated immediately. In order to get rid of salt stains, you need to know what they are and where they come from.

Water falling on the surface of a brick dissolves the contents contained in building materials salts, and in dry weather the water evaporates and the salts crystallize on the surface and form stains.

Causes of pollution

Salts, firstly, are contained in building materials - and in masonry mortar, both in brick and in antifreeze additives, and in hardening accelerators. And secondly, with precipitation they can get into the brick and sea ​​salt, if the building is near the sea, and emissions industrial production(these salts may have a greenish color).

The crystallized salt corrodes the surface of the brick, and it begins to crumble.

Why is salt not visible on the brick when purchasing it or immediately after building the structure? In order for salt to appear on the surface of the brick, water is needed. It falls on a brick structure during rain. And brick is a highly porous material that can absorb quite a large amount of moisture. Getting inside the brick, water dissolves the salts contained in the building materials, and salt gets to the surface due to the fact that in dry weather, moisture with salts dissolved in it moves to the surface on which the moisture evaporates, and after the moisture evaporates, the salts crystallize and form stains and drips.

Crystallized salt corrodes the surface, and it begins to crumble, and wind and precipitation contribute to “weathering.” Salts crystallize not only on the surface, but also inside the material, so the destruction they cause is much greater than it might seem at first glance. Accordingly, the sooner the salt can be removed, the better the structure will be preserved.

Types of salt stains and their removal

Efflorescences can be easily soluble or difficult to dissolve. That is why you can hear the opinion that salt stains from bricks can be easily removed with water. Only easily soluble salts can be washed off with water, and not all of them. Some easily soluble salts, falling on the surface, can become sparingly soluble upon contact with air (therefore, they are washed out of the brick with water, but they cannot be removed from its surface with water).

Easily soluble ones include:

• sodium and potassium carbonates;
• sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and barium chlorides;
• sodium, potassium, magnesium, aluminum and iron sulfates;
• nitrates of sodium, potassium, calcium, aluminum, iron and barium;
• phosphates and silicates of sodium and potassium.

Hardly soluble ones include:

• calcium, magnesium, iron and barium carbonates;
• barium sulfate;
• orthophosphates of calcium, iron and aluminum;
• calcium, iron and aluminum pyrophosphates;
• calcium silicate.

Due to the fact that not everyone can do a chemical analysis of efflorescence, and ordering such an analysis will require both time to find a laboratory and money, it makes sense to first try washing a small area with hot water using a brush and evaluate the result after drying.

To remove poorly soluble salts, there are special cleaners - so-called “washes”.

Slightly soluble salts can be washed off with water using a roller.

There are quite a lot of them on our market - both Russian and imported. Russian washes are no worse than imported ones, but are much cheaper. They are neutral, slightly acidic and sour. Brick can be cleaned with all of these washes, but you need to take into account that neutral ones are suitable for cleaning from weak efflorescence, while acidic and slightly acidic ones must be worked with carefully, and if the solution gets on the skin, you must immediately rinse the area of ​​contact with water. An acidic wash cleans bricks contaminated with insoluble salts. To use the wash, you will need:

• brush;
• roller;
• hot water;
• protective glasses;
• gloves.

Before diluting the removers, you need to read the instructions on the package, dilute a small amount according to the instructions, try to clean a small area and evaluate the result. The solution should be applied to the brick, left for 20-30 minutes to dissolve the salts, and then rinsed off with hot water using a stiff brush (if possible, you can rinse with water under pressure). If the result is not satisfactory, then you need to increase the concentration of the solution.

Hydrophobization of masonry

Covering brick surface water repellent, you will protect it from corrosion, frost and fungus.

After you have managed to remove salt stains using water or a cleaner, you need to treat the surface with a special water-repellent impregnation - a water repellent. This impregnation will not allow the material to absorb moisture, and without it, the appearance of salt stains will become impossible. Hydrophobization is a common method of protection building structures

• from exposure to moisture. Its difference from waterproofing is that hydrophobization maintains breathability and the material “breathes.” In addition, hydrophobization increases:
• corrosion resistance 1.5-2 times;
• frost resistance 3-5 times;

imparts antibacterial and antifungal properties. And if you add a water repellent to the masonry mortar, it will increase both the strength and ductility of the mortar (therefore it is more convenient to lay bricks using such a mortar). Silicone-organic (silicone) water repellents are considered the most reliable. They are water-soluble, organic-soluble and aqueous. The most economical of them are water ones. There are water repellents that can be applied to wet surface

The water repellent should be applied to a cleaned and dry surface using a brush, roller or spray. Water resistance increases within 5-11 days, even if it is raining and snowing outside. After drying, the surface acquires water-repellent properties, which last for five or more years, depending on the climate and the quality of the water repellent and the brick.

Removing particularly strong efflorescence

If the salt concentration is too high, then even an acidic cleaner cannot remove it the first time. If this happens, then you need to treat the surface with a water repellent, and a day later apply a cleaner and wash off the salt stains with hot water (at a temperature of 10°C). The applied layer of water repellent will prevent further leaching of salts, and stains will not appear again. After drying, you need to apply a finishing layer of water repellent to the surface.

Efflorescence on brick is a common occurrence. White plaque on the outside of the walls brick houses can now be found everywhere. These defects not only spoil the appearance of houses, but also contribute to the rapid destruction of the brick surface. This is due to the fact that salt crystals are stress concentrators, leading to the formation of chips.

Efflorescence on brick buildings are formed as white limescale, resulting from a violation technological processes or environmental changes.

Why do efflorescence appear on bricks?

There are a large number of salts in nature that can have the most different origins. Efflorescence on bricks can occur for objective reasons beyond the control of the people making artificial stones. Natural sources of these deposits can be:

1. The alumina used to form bricks contains salts. They pass through the porous structure of products, settling on their surface.
2. Water necessary for the formation of artificial stone.
3. Sand is also added to the bricks, which without proper treatment can be the main source of sand.
4. The land on which the building will be erected.
5. Rain or snow, which can carry harmful contaminants over long distances.

Efflorescence on brickwork can also appear due to violations of technology during the production of products. The reason for this may be non-compliance with the proportions of the components, temperature regime during firing and many other factors.

When purchasing a brick, you cannot get a guarantee that such defects will not appear on it. To reduce the likelihood of their appearance on brick, the causes of this phenomenon must be eliminated. At a minimum, it is necessary to organize protection of the masonry from precipitation.

How to prevent efflorescence from appearing during construction?

Micro foaming agents are used to increase the plasticity of bricks and prevent efflorescence.

When these products are formed, it is necessary to ensure that the salts in the solution do not dissolve in the masonry. For this task, impurities are introduced into the solution to increase its plasticity. Previously, these were ordinary chicken eggs, but now microfoaming agents made from petroleum products and other components are used. These additives prevent moisture from entering the brick from construction mixture. In addition, evenly applied mortar ensures proper load distribution between the bricks.

To prevent excess moisture from getting into the products, it is recommended to plastering work only using dried masonry. In winter, builders often dry out a house built in the summer, while simultaneously plastering the walls. This cannot be done, because in the spring all the moisture from the room will be displaced onto the outer surface of the wall, which will cause efflorescence to appear on it.

When a future construction project is drawn up, it must take into account the climate of the region and take measures to protect the walls from moisture.

A ventilated gap must be provided between the brick, insulation and cladding. Horizontal waterproofing should be done for the foundation.

Elimination of existing defects

In order to eliminate existing efflorescence, special solutions are used.

Contrary to popular belief, efflorescence on brick cannot be removed with water. On the contrary, this liquid helps dissolve the salts inside the product, after which they come out. To prevent this phenomenon, completely different measures are needed. Cleaning of already laid bricks is carried out as follows:

1. The surface is cleaned using specialized compounds. Sometimes you may need to go through several products, but Neomid products have proven themselves quite well. The solvent should be applied to a small area of ​​the wall, and if it really removes the salt, go over the rest of the masonry. When working, you need to protect yourself with gloves, goggles and a hat, since the solvents contain aggressive substances. It is very important to follow the instructions, especially regarding the duration of action of the product.
2. After the time specified in the instructions, you need to wash off the remaining substance with plain water from a hose.
3. The surface is dried and treated with a special solution - a water repellent. This product has unique properties, allowing you to maintain vapor permeability while simultaneously preventing the passage of salts.

A wall treated in this way no longer absorbs moisture. During precipitation, water flows from the surface without contacting it. After processing, the brick becomes more durable. In addition, it resists dust much better.

Conclusion on the topic

If you buy ready-made building materials, efflorescence may appear on them at any time. No one is immune from this problem, but following certain nuances during construction will help minimize the likelihood of its occurrence.

If defects appear on the masonry during its operation, do not panic. Modern means will help get rid of this problem once and for all.

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