Why are the bricks white on some parts?

[Lal]

It’s a 4 year old house 

[Onoff]

Salts coming out? 

[Lal]

1 minute ago, Onoff said:

Salts coming out? 

Is this normal and how long will it last? 

[Canski]

Efflorescence. And that’s very mild. I’ve seen some shockers in my life. 

[Radian]

It can mean that water is present there. It looks like the gutter might be overflowing at the end (in the corner). Just under the soffit should be dryer than the rest of the wall but that bit looks like it's getting wetter:

 

 

If it's not the fault of the gutter, it might be the flashing or possibly the vertical expansion gap. I'd be investigating it if it were mine.

[Brickie]

9 hours ago, Radian said:

It can mean that water is present there. It looks like the gutter might be overflowing at the end (in the corner). Just under the soffit should be dryer than the rest of the wall but that bit looks like it's getting wetter:

 

 

If it's not the fault of the gutter, it might be the flashing or possibly the vertical expansion gap. I'd be investigating it if it were mine.

As above,worth checking during a downpour,but it could just be that the Dow pipe wasn’t installed immediately during construction,and that zone of brickwork took more than its fair share of rain as a result. 

[Temp]

Efflorescence. Usually harmless. Salt coming out of the bricks or mortal. 

 

Can sometimes indicate that area is wetter than others for some reason - eg the gutter overflow others mentioned. Might just be recent heavy wind blowing rain into that corner. 

 

We have it on our house in a few areas below the damp proof course. 

 

Generally it's best left alone. It should eventually stop but can take many years to dissapear. Some people advise to use or not use a pressure washer - they can push more water into the brick and make it reappear worse. Others suggest various products to put on it. A stiff brush can be used but beware of marking up the bricks. A broom might be OK but not a really aggressive wire brush.

 

I would leave it alone unless it really bothers you.

 

 

 

 

 

[Lal]

2 hours ago, Temp said:

Efflorescence. Usually harmless. Salt coming out of the bricks or mortal. 

 

Can sometimes indicate that area is wetter than others for some reason - eg the gutter overflow others mentioned. Might just be recent heavy wind blowing rain into that corner. 

 

We have it on our house in a few areas below the damp proof course. 

 

Generally it's best left alone. It should eventually stop but can take many years to dissapear. Some people advise to use or not use a pressure washer - they can push more water into the brick and make it reappear worse. Others suggest various products to put on it. A stiff brush can be used but beware of marking up the bricks. A broom might be OK but not a really aggressive wire brush.

 

I would leave it alone unless it really bothers you.

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your response. Is it normal for bricks to get wet under DPC and have efflorescence as a result? I think ours get worse during the winter times, but not so bad during summer 

[Dave Jones]

4 minutes ago, Lal said:

Thank you for your response. Is it normal for bricks to get wet under DPC and have efflorescence as a result? I think ours get worse during the winter times, but not so bad during summer 

 

yep

[Temp]

4 hours ago, Lal said:

Thank you for your response. Is it normal for bricks to get wet under DPC and have efflorescence as a result? I think ours get worse during the winter times, but not so bad during summer 

 

Yes, below DPC they soak up water from the ground.

 

Not all bricks suffer from it. Its actually possible to buy bricks with a low rating for Efflorescence. Just like you can get them with different levels of frost resistance.

 

Just for info, this is our worst patch. Its where water runs down some steps. Me not clearing leaf debris probably doesn't help.

 

 

[Temp]

Some bricks are remarkably porus. I once filled a round bucket with some of our bricks. I then filled up all the spaces with water from a hose. They fizzed and popped and soaked up all the water leaving just an inch or so in the bottom. 

[saveasteading]

30 minutes ago, Temp said:

Me not clearing leaf debris probably doesn't help.

Not only that  but it is a damp little corner with reduced air flow. 

Not a problem.

Worth clearing the moss and any soil with it too, as that holds water.

 

The salts might just fall off come the summer, or wash them off then.

[Blooda]

You have a small bit of mortar slipped here,  worth getting it fixed.  If those are fabricated arches, it could pop the slips off, worth fixing even if  they are real arches.  Stitch in time

 

 

[Dave Jones]

in my experience you only every get persistent effervescence where the brickwork gets wet constantly. You can see this on your photo's, something is causing the corner of the building to get wet by looks, guttering ?

 

Stop dripping/leaking directly onto the brickwork and 99% of it will disappear.

 

 

[saveasteading]

Lal, im wondering where your dpc is, perhaps too close to the ground.

Looking at the pic with tarmac, there is one course of bricks that looks very dark and damp.

 

The next 2 courses have varying wetness too, perhaps splashing up from the tarmac.