Removing

efflorescence
First, find the cause; then use the gentlest possible
cleaning method to avoid damaging masonry
By John A. Koski

fflorescence appears in
various forms on masonry
surfaces. It sometimes is
crystalline or crusty; at other
times it is powdery or fluffy. In
its worst forms, it appears as a
scum or as unattractive green or
brown stains. Although efflorescence is not harmful to masonry,
it can indicate that other problems exist, such as excessive
moisture entering wall cavities.
Efflorescence results when
moisture comes in contact with
soluble salts within masonry units
or mortar. The moisture dissolves
the salts and gravity, hydrostatic
pressure, evaporation, or a similar
mechanism transports the salt
solution to the surface, where it
appears as efflorescence.
Efflorescence can be minimized
by informed selection of materials, careful design details, and
good construction practices. Taking some extra precautions on
the jobsite may help keep efflorescence from appearing on new
construction:
Keep masonry materials dry by
storing them off the ground and
under a protective covering; do
not allow sand to be contaminated by dirt or plant matter.
Cover unfinished walls during
work stoppages, inclement
weather, and especially at the
end of the day to prevent mortar joint washout and to keep
masonry dry.
Protect the base of walls from
rain-splashed mud and mortar

splatter by using straw, sand,

or sawdust extending 3 to 4
feet from the wall, and by placing plastic sheeting 2 to 3 feet
up the wall surface.
Turn scaffold boards near the
wall on edge at the end of the
day to prevent rainwater from
splashing mortar and dirt onto
the wall.
Avoid rubbing or pressing mortar particles into brick or block
faces when brushing excess
mortar from the wall after tooling mortar joints.

How to proceed
Before removing efflorescence,
determine the sources of the problem and take steps to correct them.
Doing so will help prevent efflorescence from reappearing a short
time later.
Look for all possible points
where water may be entering a
wall, or where details have been
left out or installed incorrectly.
Check for cracked masonry, voids
in mortar joints, deteriorated
sealant joints, flashings that do
not extend through the wall, and
weep holes that are blocked or
spaced too far apart. Because
parapet walls are especially vulnerable to moisture penetration,
check parapet copings for open
seams, joints, or holes.
Determining the type of salt
causing the efflorescence can
help you select a cleaning agent
that effectively dissolves the efflorescence, but has minimal im-

pact on the masonry itself. Many

proprietary cleaners have been
developed to remove specific types
of efflorescence. If the wrong cleaning solution is used, it can cause
soluble salts to become insoluble,
creating an even greater problem.
Improper cleaning of masonry
surfaces also can significantly
change a walls color, eat away
cementitious material, leave aggregate exposed, and cause additional efflorescence to occur.
Applying a sealer or other coating as a treatment for efflorescence is not recommended. Water
entering a coated wall through the
sealer or by way of another path
will still dissolve salts in the masonry. When the salt solution travels toward the surface of the wall,
the water passes through the coating as vapor, but the salts left behind concentrate, crystallize, and
create pressures that can spall
and crack brick. This type of
florescence is known as cryptoefflorescence. Efflorescence occurs
on the surface.
To minimize the effects of
cleaning on a wall, always start
with the gentlest method possible
and progress toward harsher
measures as needed. The gentlest
method usually is dry brushing.
If thats not effective, try using a
brush dipped in a bucket of water, or use a gentle water spray.
Proprietary masonry cleaners,
acids, and other chemicals should
be used only when gentler techniques prove unsuccessful.
Tests should include several
intensities with each method. For
example, with water washing, try
different pressures and durations;
with chemicals, test various concentrations. Test patches should
be approximately 20 square feet
in size and should be on an inconspicuous part of the structure. Be
sure to choose an area that accurately represents the type and
amount of the total efflorescence
on the building.
Because a building may have
several types of masonry materials and surface textures, several
types and degrees of efflorescence
may be present. In these cases,

Cleaning agents and techniques

for removing efflorescence
(see tables below for an explanation of agent and technique numbers)
Stain Color

Masonry
Surface

Cleaning
Agent

Cleaning
Technique

CLAY BRICK
Green
Green, Yellow
Brown
Brown
Green, Yellow, Brown
Green, Yellow, Brown
Green, Yellow, Brown
Green, Yellow, Brown
Green, Yellow, Brown
Green, Yellow, Brown
Gray or White
Gray or White
White
White
White
White

Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed
Any
Any
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed

11
19
20
21
1
2
3
4 and 5
6
7, 8, 9, or 10
12
12
13
14
12
14 and 15

1, 8, 6
6, 7, 8, 6
1, 15
1, 15
1, 2, 3
4, 1
5, 3, 6
1, 7
1
1, 6
6, 9
10
1
12, 1
12, 13
1, 3, 7

CONCRETE MASONRY
White
White
Colored
Colored

Any
Unglazed
Unglazed
Unglazed

12
14 or 16
22
23

12, 6, 11
1, 3, 14
1, 15
1, 15

Any
Any
Any

12
17
18

13
14, 10
10

LIMESTONE
Brown or Gray
Brown or Gray
Brown or Gray

Note: This table is a survey of agents and techniques that have been found effective in removing efflorescence in certain situations. They may or may not work in your particular situation,
and may even cause undesirable results. Therefore, always test any agent or technique in an
inconspicuous area, and use caution when using any agent or technique that is new to you.
The majority of information in this table is from Cleaning Masonry: A Review of the Literature, by Clayford T. Grimm.

Cleaning agents
1. 1% oxalic acid solution
2. 1 part caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to 10 parts water
3. 1 part sulfuric acid to 9 parts water
4. 3 to 6 ounces oxalic acid to 1 gallon
of warm water
5. 2 ounces washing soda (sodium
carbonate) to 1 gallon water
6. 1 part ethylene diamine tetraacetic
acid to 10 parts water
7. 2.5 pounds caustic soda (sodium
hydroxide) to 1 gallon water
8. 1 pound washing soda (sodium
carbonate) to 1 gallon water
9. 1 part sodium silicate (water glass)
to 1 part water
10.1 pound potassium silicate to 1
gallon water
11.12 ounces caustic soda (sodium
hydroxide) to 1 quart water

12. Water
13. 1 part hydrochloric acid to 12 parts
water
14. 1 part hydrochloric acid to 9 parts
water
15. 5% ammonia solution
16. 1 part hydrochloric acid to 20 parts
water
17. Acetic acid (white vinegar)
18. Hot water
19. 2 pounds potassium or sodium
hydroxide to 1 gallon water
20. 1 part 80% or higher acetic acid, 1
part 30% to 35% hydrogen peroxide, and 6 parts water
21. 1 pound oxalic acid crystals to 1
gallon water
22. 1% or 2% muriatic acid solution
23. 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water

Cleaning techniques
1. Soak stain with water, apply agent,
rinse with water, and dry
2. Scrub brick, not mortar
3. Repeat as needed
4. Do not use hydrochloric acid
5. Mix and apply 14-inch poultice,
cover, let dry 24 hours, and scrape
or brush off filler
6. Wash with water

7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Wash with agent

Wait for at least 3 days
Start at top of wall
Apply hot water under pressure
Stain will weather away
Brush
Scrub with water
Scrub with agent and rinse with water
Do not scrub

each area should be tested separately as no one method may work

on all areas. Test areas should be
evaluated only after they have
been allowed to dry completely;
usually about one week.
Once a cleaning method has
been chosen, the test areas serve
as the jobsite standard for such
things as how many applications
of the cleaning method are needed, how long the treatment should
remain on the surface, and what
water pressures should be used
for cleaning and rinsing.
Use caution when working with
any cleaning solution, especially
acid solutions. Many of the acid
solutions shown in the table at left
are dangerous to mix and use, and
their use should not be taken lightly. When in doubt about mixing or
using an acid or cleaner, contact
the supplier or manufacturer.
Wear appropriate safety gear
when working with chemical and
acid solutions. Basic safety gear
includes goggles or a face shield
and rubber gloves. Some acid solutions also may require the use of
rubberized pants, jacket, or apron.
Wet the entire wall surface with
clean water before applying any
acid solution. Doing so allows the
cleaning solution to remain on
the surface of the masonry by reducing absorption of masonry
units and mortar.
Once cleaning begins, work in
areas delineated by structural or
architectural features. This helps
prevent mottling and uneven color variation that can result when
cleaning is interrupted.
Protect landscaping, windows,
doors, and trim from contact with
cleaning agents. Acid solutions can
corrode metal door and window
frames and stain adjacent masonry
materials, such as limestone and
cast stone. Alkaline solutions, such
as wash water, may cause pitting
of aluminum window frames.

Water cleaning
Although cleaning a masonry
surface with only water may seem
completely safe, some precautions
are necessary.

Brown stains

The efflorescence triangle: To prevent the development of efflorescence or its reoccurance, eliminate any one of the three points of the
triangle.
First, use special care when
working in cold weather. Because
most cleaning operations involve
using water, freeze-thaw damage
can result if cleaning is done in
below-freezing temperatures.
Second, keep water pressure at
the lowest effective level. Highpressure water can etch or scar
masonry, and may penetrate the
masonry surface, further exacerbating the efflorescence problem.

New building bloom

White efflorescent salts sometimes appear on the surface of
new concrete block construction.
They result from a chemical reaction within the mortar and block.
Known as new building bloom,

this type of efflorescence can be

frustrating, especially on a job
with superior design and workmanship. Your first impulse may
be to wash the efflorescence off
with water or a proprietary masonry cleaning solution. However, this
is not advisable because the efflorescence often will disappear by
itself or at most require mild cleaning, such as dry brushing. Once it
disappears or is removed, new
building bloom seldom reappears.
Before using any proprietary
concrete masonry cleaner, check
with the both the cleaner and
block manufacturers to see if the
cleaner is compatible with the
masonry units. This is especially
important when cleaning colored
units because strong cleaners can
cause color changes in masonry.

Green and yellow stains

Brown stains often are caused by

manganese used as a coloring
agent in brick and may not occur
until a wall has been washed with
acid or exposed to acid rains.

Green and yellow stains on

brick result from vanadium salts,
most often found on buff and
white brick. These stains often
appear after brick has been washed
with acid solutions, which leach
out the vanadium salts.
If brickwork has been cleaned
with an acid solution and green
or yellow stains appear, use one
of the procedures shown in the
table on page 175. Various proprietary cleaning compounds also
have been developed to remove
green or yellow stains.

Brown stains generally occur

at or near mortar joints between
manganese colored brick. The
stains take on several colors, including tan, brown, gray, and
black. They often appear oily and
may streak down over the face of
brick. They result when manganese, used in brick as a coloring
agent, is dissolved and reaches
mortar joints. Lime in the mortar
neutralizes the manganese salts
and they deposit on the wall.
During the manufacturing process of some brick, manganese
coloring agents can become insoluble in water, yet remain soluble
in weak acid solutions. Thus,
brown stains can result when
brick are washed with acid solutions. They also can result from
acid rains in industrial areas.
Whenever possible, avoid using
acid solutions on tan, brown,
black, gray, buff, or white brick.
Instead, use a proprietary cleaner designed for use on the brick
in question. Because permanent
removal of manganese stains can
be difficult and because they often return after initial removal,
the brick manufacturer also
should be contacted for advice.
References on Removing Efflorescence
BIA Technical Notes 20, Cleaning Brick
Masonry; 23, Efflorescence: Causes and
Mechanisms; and 23A, Efflorescence:
Prevention and Control, Brick Institute of
America, 11490 Commerce Park Dr.,
Reston, VA 22091.
NCMA TEK Notes 45, Removal of Stains
from Concrete Masonry Walls; and 92,
Control and Removal of Efflorescence,
National Concrete Masonry Association,
2302 Horse Pen Rd., Herndon, VA 22071.
Clayford T. Grimm, Cleaning Masonry: A
Review of the Literature, 1988, Construction Research Center, The University of
Texas at Arlington, P. O. Box 19347,
Arlington, TX 76004.
Mark London, Respectful Rehabilitation:
Masonry, 1988, National Trust for Historic
P re s e rvation, 1785 Massachusetts Ave.
NW, Washington, DC 20036.
W. C. Panarese, S. H. Kosmatka, and F. A.
Randall Jr., Concrete Masonry Handbook,
1991, Portland Cement Association, 5420
Old Orchard Rd., Skokie, IL 60077.
Trowel Tips: Efflorescence, Portland Cement Association.

PUBLICATION #M920174, Copyright 1993, The Aberdeen Group, All rights reserved