Excessive salts

[Koolpc]

My friend went to look at a newly renovated house on friday and in the back garden they have built a retaining wall out of concrete blocks, laid flat, approx 6 courses she said and they are leeching a ton of what looks like salts all over them! Quite thick in places and, at the steps, its all pooled with white residue!!

Wish she had taken some pics!

Any ideas? Salts?

Easy to remove and cement over etc?

 

[JohnD]

Retaining wall? Probably due to groundwater.

No point in painting it or trying to clean it off.

OOI, is this in a hard water area? If not, it may eventually weather away.

 

[Koolpc]

I dont think its a hard water area...

 

[foxhole]

Efflorescence & natural stone: what it is, why it happens and what to do about it

As industry professionals, we've all seen efflorescence before and recognize it for what it is - an unsightly but temporary inconvenience.

selectstonesupply.com

 

[Koolpc]

Efflorescence & natural stone: what it is, why it happens and what to do about it

As industry professionals, we've all seen efflorescence before and recognize it for what it is - an unsightly but temporary inconvenience.

selectstonesupply.com

Thanks. Its concrete blocks that have been used. I think she is hoping nothing nasty has been dumped behind the retaining wall...there is gravel in area above...

 

[Koolpc]

Couple of pics of said wall and steps taken today:

 

[noseall]

I dont think its a hard water area...

Hard water doesn't fall out of the sky, lol. That wall looks like it was rained on (heavy) whilst it was being built, or had just been completed.

 

[JohnD]

It washing out from rain, in your pics, out of the mortar

 

[Koolpc]

Its a new wall i believe...

 

[Koolpc]

Hard water doesn't fall out of the sky, lol. That wall looks like it was rained on (heavy) whilst it was being built, or had just been completed.

Yea, i agree