I have white stains from flower planters that have been sitting on the brick. I have tried all of the otc stain removal products without complete success. Have tried scraping, wire brush, sandpaper, & have gotten some of it off. Maybe you could advise me on my problem. Thank you for your help.

Steve562

 

Steve:

If you can coerce one to stop by, you might want to have a brick mason look at your problem. The only thing I can think of (which you may have already tried) is muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid by another name) commonly used by masons to clean brick. This product is available from any building supply.

 

I'm sorry, but although "bricklayers" like to use the old technique of using muriatic acid... NO brick manufacturer recommends that material for cleaning their product! It is not a reliable method. The strength of the product is not regulated from batch to batch. Besides, next time you look at jug of acid, look for the brick cleaning instructions... THERE ARE NONE!

What you've got is EFFLORESCENCE. In order to stop the efflorescence, you must first stop the source for excess moisture in pavers. Once the planters are removed, and the pavers dry out completely... brush off the EFFLORESCENCE. Do not pressure wash or spray heavily the area of efflorescence. You will only push it back in. Brush and wipe it regularly. It will go away after you stop the wet dry cycle. EFFLORESCENCE occurs when excessive moisture gets into the masonry and when warmth or sunlight wicks the water out... and as it hydrates out of the masonry it carries with it salts and other impurities found in the unit... leaving you with a snow white case of efflorescence on the surface.

If you feel you must clean the EFFLORESCENCE off the surface chemically, there are several types of commercially available cleaners. Contact your local brick or masonry distributor for product names in your area. We sell the Sure-Klean brand. Regardless of the cleaner used, you must fully soak the masonry with clean water first... allowing the brick to suck up the water... so that the cleaner does not get absorbed into the brick at all.. but merely stay on the surface and clean the unwanted debris. Then you must let the pavers dry thoroughly. You could then try
applying a commercially available water repellant sealer... NOT Thompson's! Ask the masonry supplier for help with this also.

Good luck with this project!

www.southsidebuilders.com

 

Efflorescence is a natural occurrence on brick. The excess moisture trapped beneath the flower pots caused excessive leaching of the salts from the clay brick. An easy solution for removing efflorescence is a brush and vinegar. Once removed, the efflorescence may recur.