But before we brushed on the sealant we needed to treat the walls by removing the efflorescence the white salt like substance that naturally occurs on all concrete surfaces that are exposed to.
Efflorescence on basement walls.
Efflorescence forms on basement walls and floors because moisture is traveling through them and is carrying dissolved minerals to the surface.
Scrub the section of the basement wall briskly.
The white fuzzy stuff you see along the inside and outside of your basement wall is efflorescence.
Use a large sponge to thoroughly wet down the efflorescence spots on the walls.
Efflorescence is simply salt and can be easily removed with efflorescence removers and other cleaning techniques.
Don t worry this annoying build up isn t hazardous.
Efflorescence can look similar to mold but when touched the crystals crumble into a fine powder.
To deal with it you have to first identify the source of water leakage.
How to remove efflorescence from basement walls step 1.
Fill a bucket with warm water.
Efflorescence is a white powdery film or dusty residue that shows up on masonry surfaces on the inside or outside of a house.
Cover the floor and furniture in the basement with plastic sheeting.
The masonry used to build basement walls and floors contains natural minerals like clay and limestone.
It s usually found on the concrete blocks in basements but can be found many other places.
Brick and cement are porous so some moisture is naturally moving through them at all times unless special sealants are applied.