Efflorescence - Cause?

Specific Inspection Topics Exterior Inspections
#21

A licensed professional will remove the SUSPECT effervescence and insure the veneer is capable of sealing the veneer without harming the surface and clay veneer.

As for adding weep holes.
The grade is variant by degree. The slope is off the brick ledger, IF ANY, and placing weep holes is for the purpose of shedding water, or trapped MC that the brick ledger . There would be no use to place them anywhere else.
If trapped MC is suspected by the company the vents can be placed in the brick veneer wall that will allow any previews trapped HR or above normal MC to escape.
RECOMMEND: A licensed masonry company preform an evaluation on the brick veneer wall and preform any needed maintenance.

All the best.

PS: **I believe it is a combination of the issue we are discussing **
Don’t believe, fact only. create a hypothesis or I RECOMMEND, you let a professional do the job.
Write up your observations, recommend and move along.

PS, PS: No weep holes were noted. Unless they are below grade
I see you are lacking on brick veneer.
No one is guessing at what they are saying on this thread.
RECOMMEND: you educate on brick veneer and brick, stone, foundations and there relationship within one and two story buildings at first.

All the best.

#22

Matt, being the location your at, I agree with Marcel on this one. That the cause is from the exterior, not the interior, and/or lack of weeps.

“more apt to think that the rain water.or snow, ice, salt, splashing on the brick from the steps and the sidewalk saturate to brick and the efflorescence comes out as the moisture migrates out in the drying process.”

#23

Now you point out gutters (downspouts) and the lack of perimeter drainage may be suspect.
BINGGO!
I believe it is a combination of the issue we are discussing as well as a gutter system that has every single miter in it shot.
Explain please Matt.
Are there downspouts within the proximity of the wall.
Is the perimeter drainage? Exterior or interior?
Is there a sump basin/s?

Did you IR the basement walls.

Did you see the sill plate?

What materials are withing the walled system below grade?
Metal or wood.
Wood, any decay.
Metal, any rust?

#24

:):):):):slight_smile:
Above grade maybe building bloom.

#25

Gees Louise it hard to get some respect around here with all these top notch HI’s.

Just taken outside my home.

Now is that what you saw?

no water in the interior apartment.
Been on going for 7 years now.
The brick is degraded and crumbing on the wall the id 18" inches above grade and has no ground contact.
Now for a complete understanding of the thread please read more.…

#26

I know there is moisture that has gotten into the basement wall as the buyer is actually leasing the building right now and stated so when I asked. Here is the issue, check out the pic from that room in the basement

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#27

It’s not building bloom as this structure is 30 years old

#28

Great work!

#29

You lift any false ceiling tiles at the wall.
Remember water can come in pipes, vents, and yes the brick veneer.
Ask you client to go further.
Get a HI with an IR camera and chase down the leak.

Do it for free if you have to. get your experience any way you can.
Experience and someone getting images of you working is priceless at times. Ask the client and building owner to market you after.
Just say’n

#30

Cause

Three reasons:
Moisture in the masonry
Salts in the masonry.
Surface for salts to evaporate and exacerbate efflorescence.

If you take just one of these away you will not have efflorescence.

Great article in The Construction Specifier magazine of the Construction Specifications Institute.

#31

I lifted up some ceiling tiles but everything was insulated at the rim joist so I couldn’t directly see any framing members and couldn’t get in close enough to remove any of it to investigate further

#32

Matt, What I did before was as you are doing now. reaching out.
Its hard to say the least with any area that is being used for storage.

I purchased a IR camera seeing one issue troubled me enough.
After that a good moisture detector with an EFIS probe.

now I am loaded for bear. Boar scope, fluke entry level IR and Delmhorst EIFS, pin and radio metric 3 way moisture meter and still get troubling issues but at least can start to get a good deep lock at MC and the suspect entry point.

Marcel, Jeffrey, Christopher Currins, Bob Elliott or Bob’s yur uncle all have valid points here.
I am just the jocular one trying to stop these great HI’s from mincing words. Sorry for the Rodney Dangerfield yuk yuk.

These guys deserve all the respect in the world.

As explained to me when I arrived. We are here to observe and report. anything extra maybe putting your foot in your mouth.
All the best buddy.
RECOMMEND: A licensed masonry contractor evaluate the condition.
let someone else accept the responsibility.
All the best buddy.
You will be fine.

#33

Thanks Robert and thanks to everyone else. I just wanted to be able to give my client the best directions on where to go from here. I think everyone had some valid points and I appreciate all the input. Thanks Again everyone!

#34

Here’s your yuk, yuk, yuk! :mrgreen:

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQPogDTVJ-w8klz89P0BHQKawp7XnuJlE-4QQgp4RQ0kvbaujUiEA

#35

Jeff.
Here is what I was referring to.
Boar scope and loaded for bear:-)

I messed up on Bob’s yur your uncle mate.
Tired again but loving the action.
Keep well.

#36

Sorry to see you loose your cool and spread erroneous information about me for me laughing at your 26" screen to say there is no flashing and weep holes.

I do not guess nor do I even bring up the fact that there is no flashing in a wall, because it is not always visible depending on the age.

Yes today’s standards call for flashing and weepholes as you describe, I am well aware of it being a Masonry Foreman over 35 years ago.

You are calling a defect based on Guess, opinion, and non-verification of fact.

It should be noted that weepholes are not present and whether or not flashing was installed in not visible or verifyable. A masonry contractor should be recommended.

#37

I don’t think it is efflorescence at all. I think the stains come from sidewalk salt that is thrown to melt the ice.

#38

Profound observation.
Bloom, salt stains, and other anomalies can stain clay, concrete and other veneers at grade level.
You’ve done this before I bet.:slight_smile:

#39

[quote=“mcyr, post:36, topic:78100”]

Sorry to see you loose your cool and spread erroneous information about me for me laughing at your 26" screen to say there is no flashing and weep holes.

I do not guess nor do I even bring up the fact that there is no flashing in a wall, because it is not always visible depending on the age.

Yes today’s standards call for flashing and weepholes as you describe, I am well aware of it being a Masonry Foreman over 35 years ago.

Marcel, plastic is used but not by qualified masonry contractors. Proficient masonry contractors use flexible rubberized membrane. IE: Blue Skin.

NOTE: The use of metals is subjective to temperature conductivity,and oxides and are being replaced by rubberized membranes.

I am not Bob Elliott and can only attest to his deep interest in veneers and I think rubberized membranes, not plastic, was the material that Bob was referring to.
Please excuse me if I am mistaken Bob.

Mental is costly to manufacture, for one and there are less and less tradesmen with the true ability to work with metal flashing. The cutting and bending patterns that equate to water tight ability take years to know.

Bob Elloitt and Marcel Cry are the inspiration behind many InterNACHI members. They are known for mentor ship, comradery, knowledge just to name a few.

The Bob Elliott and Marcel Cry I know are both here.

Let us not forget, at times our ability to contrive an accurate account on a subject and then relating a narrative through our keystrokes does not always represent ones education or home inspection parlous.
Look at me for God sake.:roll:

Love you both BUT,
Now play nice or no late night message board for either of you two.:slight_smile:

#40

that is what happens when the concrete guys are there last/second/after the siding is installed and cover things like weepholes up