Bleeding Stone Wall

sxdirt

Hi everyone. Wondering of someone can explain why this happens and what to do so it does not happen.

My mothers stone wall that was constucted from blocks and then venered with stone and 1/2 to 1" joints. Wall was completed about 3 years ago. It now has a hard milky residue all over the stone. Looks like its dripping through the concrete from the joints and caps. The stone looks horrible now. SO How did this happen? Whats the cause? How do you prevent this? And is there a way to remove that crap?

22rifle

Already been discussed here many times.

Search for this word: efflorescence

Michael Olding

Block are notorious for not taking well to excessive moisture infiltration. The water is likely coming from behind the wall due to improper drain or no drain installation. Will likely need more info and some picks to help you more than this.

Stewy

This is something that someone in the masonry trade should be able to help you with.

Tscarborough

Is it a freestanding wall or retaining wall? Is it a 4" stone veneer or an adhered veneer? What type of stone and what is the cap design?

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sxdirt

It's a retaining wall constructed from block and then veenered with Everalast Natural Colonial wall stone that varies in thickness from 1-3". Cement on between the block and stone is about 1 1/2" The cap is the same stone.

Tscarborough

Dig out behind the wall to the footing. Waterproof the backside of the wall with a product like Thoroseal or a trowelable mastic. After this is done, you can use a product like 101 lime solvent or 800 detergent to remove the existing efflorescence. Post a close up picture of the efflorescence and detail if it is hard and glossy or soft and chalky.

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Jason Whipple

Was the block filled with cement?

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Historic House Restoration, Cincinnati, Ohio
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concretemasonry

The souce of the white deposit is probably the mortar and any mortar used to be the stone.

The water from behind the wall picks up the salts from the mortar (very likely) or the stone (not too likely). These salts (usually calcium) are deposited when the moisture on the face of the wall evaporates, leaving a stain behind.

To stop efflorescence, eliminate the moisture in the wall, which was suggested by TS and is the most reliable approach.

Jason - No one fills a wall with cement. If they are not as wrong, they use concrete. If they are right, they use grout. - just a matter of terms, but use the right terms around and inspector.

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Dick

Engineer, designer and consultant recently active domestically and internationally on construction and design in about 35 countries.

eekie34

When ever we build a wall that the backside will be exposed to below grade moisture, we install a sheet membrane system follow by protection board and proper drainage. No more problems