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Is this efflorescence or something else? As you can see I used a power washer on a few bricks and it came off but I am currently looking into what kind of acid I can used to clean the bricks

Thanks

enter image description here

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    What area of the picture are we looking at? – Tyson Feb 13 '18 at 15:02
  • Right above the bushes there are 5 bricks that were power washed.. not sure whats the best approach to clean this or at least to tell a contractor what i need – Alex Iancu Feb 13 '18 at 15:12
  • Can I ask how old is the house please? – handyman Feb 13 '18 at 19:41
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Is this solid masonry or is it a "Thin Brick" system?

Due to the uniformity of the appearance, that does not look like Efflorescence to me. It looks more like some sort of surface treatment added to the brick during the firing process or an acid treatment. These bricks have similar appearance...

http://www.glengery.com/brick-products/view-brick-products/item/1415186-bayhill-thin http://www.glengery.com/brick-products/view-brick-products/item/16-cherry-lane

I'm not sure what you are trying to clean. My suspicion is you've power washed the intended finish off of the surface of the brick. I would do some homework...

  • Can you find the product literature for the brick by contacting the builder?
  • Contact a local sales representative from a major brick supplier (the Belden Brick Company or Glen Gery for example) and ask for input - they should be able to tell you exactly what the brick is, what it's supposed to look like, and how to treat it.

Try to find out what it's supposed to look like and how the manufacturer recommends you clean it before trying to treat it. And i would choose a more discreet test location next time.

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  • Marek thanks for your input. I was under the impression that this has built on the brick over the years but it could've been like this from the beginning I think this is veneer brick. Thanks again – Alex Iancu Feb 14 '18 at 13:14
  • In my experience, efflorescence tends to be (but not always) more concentrated to particular areas. Do a google image search for "efflorescence brick" and you will see what i mean. Your brick appearance looks to be intentional to me. Good Luck – Skinner Feb 14 '18 at 16:22
  • I'm not even sure you can get efflorescence on the exterior surface like that. The water starts as rain water, which has virtually no minerals. Minerals get dissolved in it as it passes through the soil and your masonry. It seeps through to the interior (usually in localized areas), the water evaporates, and the dissolved minerals build up into a thick, crumbly, crust. Even if the water collected minerals on the exterior, the same rain would dilute it and wash it off. What you're seeing is either an intentional finish, or characteristic of the brick, itself. It's too uniform to even be dirt. – fixer1234 Feb 14 '18 at 21:05
  • Thank you both for the input. Up until yesterday I was under the impression that weather changed the appearance but after reading these comments and looking at the link Marek I understand that the brick is made to look this way. I honestly hate it and will look to see if there is a way to make it more appealing Thanks – Alex Iancu Feb 14 '18 at 21:10

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