Hello kkelley,

See my post under Gardening And Landscaping, "sealer for pavers" for complete details regarding sealants. Muriatic acid is a typical caveman type of remedy for concrete related staining. Most people who suggest using it also use it wrong. If there was no, or insufficient dillution, the dyes in the surface may have been compromised. Paver cleaners and a good scrub brush are the secret to removing efflorescence from unsealed pavers. If your pavers were previously sealed, then a simple ingredient from the sealant will often temporarily reconstitue the sealant and allow trapped water to escape and crystalized salts to breakdown and dissolve. One such ingredient is tolulene. Many sealants are tolulene based. Your best bet is to check with the sealant maufacturer to determine the magic, break-down ingredient.

George Nicula

Member,

Professional Landscaping Companies, LLC

Traverse City, Michigan

Offering services in several languages worldwide.

Mr. George Nicula,

Thanks for you information and advice. I will follow up on your suggestion re landscaping.

Kenneth Kelley

Murrieta, CA

How can you get efforescence if there is not any concrete between the bricks?

Sslb6:

The bricks are set in concrete and apparently some of it is causing the problem, although it is note as bad as I have experienced elsewhere.

Thanks.

Hi All,

Efflorescense is not specific to concrete. Though, often times concrete products are more likely to effloresce than clay products. The first post indicated that the bricks were made of concrete. When quality brick pavers are made, the manufacturer usually uses some sort of efflorescense control in the concrete mixture. This only aids in stopping efflorescence, and doesn't guarantee against it.

When grouting is involved, which is the case here, then one must consider the possiblity that the grout wash has left a thin film of mortar overtop of the bricks, moreso around the edges. If that is the case, then i'm afraid that only time and mother nature will heal the pavers. My experience with sloppy grout is limited, and i've only had one instance where concrete was carelessly spilled on a brick driveway of mine. Concrete sticks to rough concrete(pavers) pretty well, anytime we've been asked to remove it, it's come at a cost to the homeowner. Not just in our fees, but in the overall look of the effected areas. My advice when dealing with this situation is either preventative maintenance(hiring a specialist in the first place) or letting nature take it's course and allowing the spill=over to natural wear off.

George Nicula

Member,

Professional Landscaping Companies, LLC

Traverse City, Michigan

Offering services in several languages worldwide.

I should also add that if a curing agent was used in the grout or the mortar base, then there is the possibility that the joints have in fact effloresced, bleeding over onto the pavers. Actually, whether or not there was such an agent used, this may still be the case.

George Nicula

Member,

Professional Landscaping Companies, LLC

Traverse City, Michigan

Offering services in several languages worldwide.

Mr Nicula:

Thanks for the information.

My wire-cut, concrete bricks are set in side-by-side. There is no grout between the bricks as I knew that this would produce efflorescence. I thought of using a toluene base sealer as I have done so in the past, but I would like advice on this procedure and others that may be better. I would say that the efflorescence is minimal, but annoying.