Efflorescence – Lisle, IL 60532

Understanding Concrete Efflorescence How It Results In Unsightly Foundation Walls

At Permaseal, we all answer client questions about concrete issues every day. One of the most popular, and most puzzling for property owners, is what they ought to do once they find layers of white-colored, flaky deposits on their cellar wall surfaces. This powder is very common on cement surfaces -- especially in cellars and crawl spaces -- and is referred to as efflorescence.

What Causes Efflorescence?

Concrete is a porous material -- and it has been since the day it dried. As a result, it'll take moisture from the ground outside, slowly releasing some of this moisture into your home. This is one of the primary reasons that basements are infamously moist, humid spaces.

As this moisture moves through your concrete, it brings a small percentage of minerals from the soil outdoors in conjunction with it, along with the lime in the cement itself. When it evaporates into your basement, it leaves these minerals behind. With time, they create the white, flaky powder that you see on your walls today.

Washing Efflorescence from Basement Walls

There are several products currently available that are especially designed for getting rid of stains from concrete wall surfaces and floors. One great way to remove efflorescence is usually to rent a power washer from a local hardware store and to combine it with these kinds of chemicals to successfully blast efflorescence away from the cement.

For a more economical solution, however, you may substitute these custom chemical substances with a solution of chlorine bleach. Combined with a power washer, pressure washer, or just by applying with a scrub brush and some work, you should be competent to thoroughly clean off the majority of efflorescence problems.

Phosphoric acid may also be used not only to eliminate efflorescence powder but also rust, grime, stains, and hard water deposits. Even so, phosphoric acid, along with other chemicals, should be used cautiously and with great attention.

Safeguarding Your Basement from Efflorescence

At Permaseal, we suggest protecting your concrete areas from efflorescence before a problem develops. Having said that, if you clean already damaged concrete, protection can be applied afterward.

Our encouraged way to stop efflorescence is by sealing your cement walls with a concrete sealer. This product works deep in the pores of your cement walls and floor surfaces to create a glass-like silicate bond in the concrete.

This barrier puts a stop to the movement of moisture through the basement walls and flooring surfaces, protecting your cellar from both efflorescence and also the water vapor transmission connected with basement humidity.

Concrete treatments can be applied as a spray, roller, paint brush, or any other ways, and it dries out in 2-4 hrs. It's harmless for indoor use as well as outdoor use, and may protect your basement in a lot of ways.