Out of a lot of the information we put out to our readers about the dangers of damaged foundations, poor condition crawl space hazards, and the like, we appreciate publishing some good news about problems you might be experiencing in your home. Today we are going to talk about the white stuff “growing” on the foundation walls of your basement, called efflorescence, and how it might not be the treacherous mold growth you might have thought it was.
The story begins with porous building materials like concrete. When a material is as permeable as porous concrete, moisture can travel freely into the inside structure through the material. While this can spell trouble for your basement or crawl space foundation, a professional waterproofing or encapsulation installation can keep any moisture damage from occurring.
If you are experiencing what looks like white mold growth on the concrete surfaces of your basement or crawl space foundation walls, there may be good news! It may not be mold at all. Efflorescence is the name of some generally safe mineral buildup that was left behind by evaporating moisture. When moisture wicks to a surface and evaporated, the minerals in the water are left behind, eventually building up into very hard and difficult to remove deposits. This makes removing efflorescence when it is first discovered a priority.
To do this, you can use a stiff bristle brush to scrub the minerals off of the surface. If left too long, the efflorescence may require strong, damaging acids or diamond strength abrasive tools to remove it. So in short, time is of the efflorescence! (We couldn’t resist.)
To solve this problem indefinitely, as well as mold growth and a host of other problems for your home’s foundation and air quality of your family, give Barrier Waterproofing Systems a call at (615) 257-1060 | (931) 536-1168 today and schedule a professional exterior waterproofing installation.
