Removing Efflorescence From Basement Walls
Hi there,
Does anyone know a way to clean off the efflorescence (powdery residue) left from water seepage into the basement. We have removed the overgrown shrubs, extended the gutters and cleaned the clogged gutters of a neglected house and now want to remove this residue.
Any inspector will catch this when we sell and we would like to clean it since we have addressed the wet basement issue.
Can anyone suggest a good product? Not sure if it is calcified nd hard to remove?
Efflorescense can be removed with light power washing. It is a common occurence, especially with new homes....its nothing more then salt coming out from the surface when moisture gets behind the wall......this also occurs with the firing of new brick at times.....
From a home inspection stand point it should not be that big of a deal.......if thats the only thing you get gigged on then you are doing well.........when looking at exterior foundations......Im more concerned with proper grade as well as weep holes in brick / masonry veneers.......
NC
Thanks NC,
Is there any solution I can use to scrub it? Light power washing will create a mess to clean up? since it is in the basement rather than onthe exterior. We have already been cleaning up the mess caused by a burst pipe near the furnace (ugh).
I Would try to paint over it with some killz primer.
Unless you can waterproof the other side of the concrete this will be a recurring problem...for a while at least. Efflorescence is salty mineral that acts as an oxidizing (or curing) agent. But it's water soluable.
When moisture penetrates it mixes with the mineral. Because the interior of the home (even in a cold basement) is warmer, moisture travels in that direction. When the moisture carrying the mineral reaches the surface it evaporates. But since the mineral cannot evaporate it collects on the surface.
Putting a coat of Kilz will solve nothing. The mineral will build up behind the primer film and cause it to bulge and lift.
Take a 4" to 6" flexible putty knife and knock off the surface of the efflorescence (it won't calcify and should easily come off). Then use a mixture of acetic acid and water and apply liberally. The idea is to rewet the mineral since it's water soluable, and just scrub it out of the pours of the contrete as best you can. One good source of acetic acid is white vinegar.
Good luck.
I am dealing with the same problems in a basement I am rehabbing. I am going to clean it this weekend. I have been told to use a wire brush to clean most of it off and then wash down with a bleach cleaner. It has also been suggested that I apply two coats of a product called DryLoc so that the water does not penetrate again. Of course this is after I have fixed my exterior issues.
Go to building supply store and look in section where sell concrete waterproofig paint. They have containers of I believe its Muriatic Acid that you mix w/ water to remove effervescence prior to applying sealer. Wear rubber gloves and use respiratorand scrub walls w/ solution. I usually also apply a strong bleach water solution AFTER walls have dried to remove any odors or mildew.
I just fixed concrete in a basement with this problem yesterday. Go to the hardware store and ask for the prep product that eliminates efflorescence sold by the same company that makes DRY LOCK paint on waterproofing. It is a small bottle of material you mix with water, brush on and wait thirty minutes to rinse off. It works great, and is alot less toxic than using Muriatic acid.
Good luck!
[addsig]
Quote:
On 2004-06-24 16:09, jimthorpe wrote:
I just fixed concrete in a basement with this problem yesterday. Go to the hardware store and ask for the prep product that eliminates efflorescence sold by the same company that makes DRY LOCK paint on waterproofing. It is a small bottle of material you mix with water, brush on and wait thirty minutes to rinse off. It works great, and is alot less toxic than using Muriatic acid.
Good luck!
Thanks for the tip, Jim. Looked it up on UGL's website. I completely forgot that I used to sell DryLok Waterproofer for below grade, interior masonry...I remember a lot of contractors in my store being very pleased with it. I also see the product you're talking about (DryLok Etch)...removes efflorescence and etches masonry for painting...too cool :-D
Thanks to everyone for the great feedback!! There is a lot to remove and I was planning on plenty of elbow grease, but it sounds like the right product [Dry-Loc Etch] will help it to go a lot easier.
LauraLee - How are you going to deal with the exterior issues you have? We have cleaned out the gutters, extended the gutters, cleared out the old overgrown shrubs near the house...not sure what else to do? I am hoping this is enough...
Pretyy much any scrub brush and a little elbow grease will remove this residue, I have used TSP and rarely use muriatic in the basement (unless opening a drain
As to the Dry-Loc that is a "sometimes" fix. IF there is a lot of moisture coming through then it won't work, or work very long, it will bubble out and then trickle through. IT will work for moderate amounts of surface moisture.
[addsig]
Thanks Stock Pro, hopefully not obvious but what is TSP?
Quote:
LauraLee - How are you going to deal with the exterior issues you have? We have cleaned out the gutters, extended the gutters, cleared out the old overgrown shrubs near the house...not sure what else to do? I am hoping this is enough...
We are installing a french drain outside the front wall of the house. That's where all the problems started and the house sat like that for two years. We are actually having it done this week. We also put a dehumidifier in the basement and it has worked wonders.
pushcart -- TSP stands for Tri Sodium Phosphate. It is a crystaline substance that is mixed with water to become a heavy duty cleaner/degreaser that also softens (deglosses) enamels prior to repainting...although the deglossing effect is temporary. It does leave a residue that must be rinsed with clean water. Unfortunately, the phosphates go a long way toward promoting eutrofication...a nasty overgrowth of algae that destroys water ecosystems. TSP substitutes are available but some argue their effectiveness.
Have you been to the Sani-Tred site?
****Must participate a while before posting URL's***
This may be of some help to many of you.
Please check it out and let me know.