Brick Discoloration & Everything You Need To Know!
Bricks are a classic choice for home exteriors, additions, firepits and fireplaces, façades, side paneling, and more. Depending on what purpose you use bricks for and what bricklaying pattern you choose, bricks can add elegance, majesty, or charm to your home.
However, as a proud brick homeowner, there are few things more discouraging than noticing discoloration, staining, or fading!
Unfortunately, there are many potential culprits of brick discoloration. We’ll be discussing a few of them in this article. However, don’t get too discouraged! Although there are several things that could be causing your bricks to become discolored, there are also many things you can do to restore discoloring in your bricks!
What causes brick discoloration anyway?
As we said above, there could be a variety of different causes that are staining, fading, or otherwise discoloring your bricks. Common offenders include sunlight, harsh minerals, hard water, humidity, and microorganisms. Each type comes with its own version of brick staining or discoloration. Let’s explore some of the most common types of brick staining causes here:
Sun
As much as we love the sun, brick can only handle so much of its harsh rays. The red tints in bricks can become faded and turn an unpleasant yellowy-orange if they become over-exposed to sunlight.
Salt
Hard water can be damaging to your bricks, especially if they are not adequately fitted with weep holes or other ways to aid proper water filtration. In addition to causing leaks, water can actually turn stain the surface of your brick a powdery white if it is combined with crystalline salt deposits. These deposits may occur naturally on your property. This chemical reaction between brick, salt, and water is called efflorescence.
Lime
Lime is a water-soluble mineral which may also cause efflorescence to occur. Lime run stains are stains that look like white drips down the bricks.
Mold
White molds that tend to grow on brick may appear like efflorescence at first. While it is relatively easy to remove, it’s best to let professionals take care of it, as disturbing mold without the proper knowledge or gear can result in exposure to harmful mold spores.
Corrision
Orange-color rust stains on bricks can be caused by corrosion of the brick. This may be due to improper bricklaying or storage techniques, poor brickwork, or faulty equipment.
If you incorrectly use a cleaning or restoration solution on a brick stain, you could do more harm than good. Fortunately, professional brick masons are able to correctly identify the cause of the discoloration and match it with the perfect restoration or cleaning process.
With all those causes of brick staining, what can be done to fix the problem?
Experiencing brick cracks? Check out our article about it.
Alexander and Xavier Masonry , our expert brick masons are specially trained and experienced in brick repair and restoration services. They will assess your brick staining, identify the cause, then treat the stain and give you personalized instructions to maintain and upkeep your brick so you can help prevent further damage in the future.
- Brick stain removal
- Professional-grade brick cleaning
- Mold removal
- Weep hole installation
- Lime run treatment
- Brick replacement
- Brick refacing
If you’re ready to schedule your free consultation, contact us!
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Brick Discoloration Facts To Know! Helpful Tips For Families!
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Brick Discoloration Facts To Know! Helpful Tips For Families!