Efflorescence
It is common and ominous looking. It is a minus to any new building and an eyesore, especially to those with an eye for aesthetics. Yes, efflorescence can greatly affect your new home’s appearance. The white swirls you find on your crawl space or concrete foundation wall is a common problem. The white film that grows especially a few months after construction diminishes the much yearned for beauty of your new home.
Can it be undone? Is it possible to prevent the unsightly white film that covertly spreads over your concrete walls? Well, for you to answer these questions you have to understand the basics about the problem. This will not only give you the ability to identify the issue but also deal with problem comprehensively.
Here are some key issues to consider before you set out on fighting efflorescence in your home:
- How it Starts
The first question that comes to mind is of course how the problem even starts. One day you have a beautiful wall and then a white film starts growing on the surface ruining your hitherto admirable home.
This is simply a combination of salts that are pushed to the surface by water movement in the concrete mixture. Concrete is porous and this allows for water to evaporate and in the process, salts that are in the mixture are left clinging on the surface.
- Contributing Factors
This is where the problem lies. If there was no excess water in concrete mixes, then there would be no danger of efflorescence. Well, the reality is far from ideal because non-ACI Certified Finishers,which are popular in modern construction, introduce a lot of unnecessary moisture to the concrete mix and this is where problems start. As this water evaporates, the soluble salts have nowhere to go and are left hanging on the walls hence the white film you observe on your walls.
- Is this a Big Issue?
Do you love your home? How much sweat went into building that property? If you had to go out of the way to build your precious home, then you need to appreciate the danger signs that the innocent looking white film is sending you.
For starters, water and laid concrete walls are not friends. It could be that the problem you are witnessing is being caused by excess water seeping through the water and not even non-ACI Certified Finishers. You need to ensure there is no water leakage through the walls and this is best done by a contracting waterproofing contractor.
Have you noted a thin white film on your foundation walls? Then get down to it by contacting an established contractor to diagnose the problem.
Budget Dry is based in Killingworth, Connecticut and has been recognized as the areas leading basement waterproofing and foundation repair company.
We are passionate about providing the absolute best service to each home and homeowner we encounter, because we understand just how important your home is to you. We pride ourselves on our excellent customer service and use of cutting edge industry technology.
Budget Dry Basement Waterproofing is a leader in Basement waterproofing and basement restoration. Every Basement flood, leak or crack is evaluated thoroughly to ensure that we provide you with the best solution. So you can be secure and confident in the knowledge that Budget Dry treats the problem, not the symptom!