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Q&As
How can we stop our bricks from discolouring?
Our new timber frame build has a brick skin, which we have laid with a ready mixed mortar. Unfortunately the mortar has left white marks on the bricks, which we would like to remove. What remedy would you suggest? My bricklayer has proposed brick acid, but is this a dangerous option? Do you think it will work, or will it spoil what was an expensive material?
Answers
One possible reason for the staining is that the mortar could have been left exposed to adverse weather conditions such as rain or frost prior to setting, resulting in lime leaching out. Another possible cause is efflorescence of the bricks themselves. Salt deposits naturally occur in some bricks and can come to the surface.
Brick acid is inadvisable as a cleaning agent as it may damage the surface of the bricks. You could try water with a soft brush. Initially try this solution on a small area or a pressure washer on a low setting. However, if it is efflorescence from the brick then that could exacerbate the problem as increasing the moisture content of the bricks could encourage more salts to come to the surface. Efflorescence is unsightly but (aside from light brushing) is best left alone, even though it can take up to two or three years to go away.
