Fluffy Pointing

[MatthewC]

I have just found that the pointing on my new extension built last October now has some fluffy white efflorescence on a lot of the pointing. The extension was built with re-used imperial bricks (with lime mortar removed) and a sand/cement/hydrated lime mortar. The internal face is block with a 100mm cavity filled with Celotex. I will admit that some bricks may not have been totally dry as the old extension was dripping wet and they only had about four weeks to dry.

Please can anyone tell me (a) what this white fluffiness is, (b) does it matter and (c) if it does matter, what should I do about it?

Matthew

 

[Feltwell]

Sounds like efflorescence to me Matthew. You can brush it off to help speed things along a bit, but generally it just needs time and it will go of it's own accord. It's completely harmless.

http://www.ibstock.com/pdfs/technical-support/TIS-02-efflorescence.pdf

 

[Flyfisher]

Sounds it to me too, and the description of damp bricks and the work being done in autumn also seems consistent. A long dry summer should sort things out.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

yeah, what they said. Nowt to fret over.

 

[stuart45]

There is another form of white staining known as lime run off or bloom. Calcium Oxide is a by product of the OPC reaction which can be washed out of the joints as hydroxide. This absorbs CO2 on the surface forming a hard lime scale which is a bit harder to remove.