Brickwork Issues

[LiamRen]

Can anybody help, the developer who built our house recently said the stains on our bricks were lime and need sorting. They are now back tracking - does anybody know how I can confirm if the stains are Lime? Are there any firms that we can pay to tidy our bricks up? Pics below - would really appreciate any help

Cheers!

 

[sircerebus666]

Looks like efforesnce salts (can't spell it!) Brush with a good stiff brush should get rid of it

Given it's only on a few rows it's probably because someone when they mixed the mortar used fairy washing up liquid as a plastisicer instead of using an actual plastisicer

How old is this new build? If new it's something the developer should be sorting

 

[LiamRen]

Thanks for the reply, the house is just over a year old - the developer emailed to say they see no issue with the bricks. I’ve tried brushing the white marks off they do not budge, which makes me think they are lime as one of the site staff said

 

[KenGMac]

LiamRen, good evening.

Agree Efflorescence,

There are a load of posts on this board about this problem suggest you check out the "Search" function situated on the top right of this page???

Ken

 

[JohnD]

there is an incredible amount of it. Not the typical lime bloom. Maybe water is running down the inner face of the bricks. Does it happen all over the house, or just under windows?

What time of year did it start?

Stand back and take a pic of the whole house, all the way up to the gutters. And some near the dpc.

Are you in a hard-water area?

 

[LiamRen]

Thanks for the response, will take a pic first thing - it’s the same on both my garage and the back of the house (front is rendered) seems to come out from the mortar, no real pattern to it

 

[KenGMac]

At one time there was a theory that as the mortar was being mixed, the Brickies laborer would add Washing up liquid? why? because the addition of a liquid that makes the mortar "flow" easier and better, any "detergent" breaks down the surface tension in the water thus the mortar is easier to lay.

Now, there are especially formulated additives, they come in sachets that are formulated to add to a [say] a mixer load of mortar. this additive will not promote Efflorescence.

But as the story goes it is cheaper to add common Washing up liquid and easier to get? BUT? adding Washing up liquid vastly increases the formation of Efflorescence within the mortar

Ken

 

[sircerebus666]

You need to get onto the developer and don't let them fob you off, this issue you have stems from them poorly building the new build and they must sort it