ᐅ New efflorescence appearing all over the new retaining wall!

Created on: 30 Apr 2020 03:44
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Schnubbi
Gray concrete block wall at construction site with soil behind it

Gray concrete blocks stacked, three columns visible, light wall in front


Unfortunately, our newly built wall has become an eyesore... Our terrace wall was supposed to be a highlight, but now I just want to look away. The manufacturer only says that we have to live with it and that it will disappear over time due to weathering. We were not aware of these issues with concrete blocks and approached the wall rather naively. What options are there? Without damaging the wall, making it look even worse, or just watching and hoping that after 3 years it might finally look like the wall was meant to...
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guckuck2
30 Apr 2020 18:59
No, he said it had already happened during storage! The second picture also shows the stone stacked before installation.

One might wonder why the material was knowingly installed like that...

Pressure washer?
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Schnubbi
30 Apr 2020 22:43
I call it naivety... The bricks were stored at the dealer’s for two months, and after about two weeks, the bricks started to change like this... I took pictures and asked what it was... The answer was that it would disappear due to weathering.

My impression was that concrete dust had gotten wet and simply ran down the bricks, but apparently it goes away with water! I didn’t google or look for any information on what could happen with such bricks... The shock came when I wanted to clean the bricks at home, which were already installed of course... I completely trusted my local dealer.
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Steven
1 May 2020 09:40
Schnubbi schrieb:

The concrete dust got wet and just ran down the stone, but it can be removed with water!

Hello Schnubbi

That’s exactly the situation. The air was full of dust, and then it rained a bit. The concrete ran down and then set.

A wire brush, water, and some strong arms—that should take care of it. A pressure washer could also work, but it can damage the stone.

Try it first on a small section of the wall. Let’s say four stones. Wait a few days. If it goes well: happy scrubbing.

Steven
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Steven
1 May 2020 09:43
Hello

what I notice: The size of the bricks in the wall looks different from the size of the bricks on the pallet. Is this just an illusion?

Steven
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knalltüte
1 May 2020 12:05
Is the picture with the stones on the pallet taken from the short side?

If you enlarge the image (the quality is great), it looks to me as if something has run onto the top row (not from inside over the edge but onto the edge!). And only from above. The streaks can clearly be traced from top to bottom.

Maybe something was still on the (over the) pallets at the dealer? Scraping off and chemical analysis? That would provide clarity.

If this is something that shouldn’t be in or on the stone (according to the manufacturer), it is a “foreign” substance for which the dealer / supplier should be responsible?
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Schnubbi
1 May 2020 14:11
They were loose, so it can only come from the brick itself... I’ll take a closer look and report back. There is one format with compartments of 3, 2, and 1 to fill. On the pallet, you can still see solid bricks that will be used as the finishing layer (top row).