What is that white stuff on my basement walls?? Efflorescence

This white stuff should not be coming out of the wall

I am often asked, “What is that white stuff on my basement walls?”  The name for it is called efflorescence. It means to “flower up” It is a powdery substance that has deposited on surface of the cement foundation walls. This is a sign of water and moisture infiltration. As a local waterproofing contractor and expert coatings specialist, it is my job to educate the homewowner on exactly what is going on in their basement. Especially homeowners dealing with water problems or flooding in their basements.

In Massachusetts the water table can get prety high causing a lot of problems for homeowners in the finished or unfinished basements. Efflorescence should not be taken lightly. It is a serious sign water and moisture infiltration. Not only is it a sign of water problems, but the powdery stuff on your basement walls used to be inside your basement wall holding the concrete together.

As the water molecules and moisture particles pass through the cement, they pick up tiny pieces of the minerals that hold the concrete together. These minerals crystallize on the surface as they hit the air. The more “white stuff” you have, the faster your foundation will loose integrity.  As you can see in this picture the water is being pulled up from the ground in a capillary action. A French drain dug down will only allow more water to enter the space a lot faster. See my post on floor entry water table and problems with French drains. This picture illustrates moisture getting into the basement and promoting a wonderful playground for mold and mildew to grow. It only take 48 hours for mold and mildew to form.

You need to stop the water from coming through. a French drain is not enough

Most waterproofing contractors in Massachusetts have only a few options to solve problems. We  at Leigh Custom Coatings, have many different solutions that are designed to deal with specific issues and perform with appropriate properties. We deal with Negative and Positive Pressure, Hydrophilic, Hydrophobic and Hydroscopic properties. We have products that travel deep within the concrete to seek out water and stop it from coming. We have products that can essentially stop the hydrostatic pressure in your basement floor or walls.  Before you hire someone to demolish the perimeter of your foundation floor and create a water tunnel inside your basement, give us a call. We can affordably stop the water, instead of move the water around.  Call 508-925-0252 or email Roy at roym@leighgc.com

 

 

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Areas we currently serve in Massachusetts: Worcester County, Greater Springfield, Blackstone Valley, Nashoba Valley, MetroWest, Greater Boston, North Shore, South Shore, Southern New Hampshire, New Hampshire Sea Coast. Southern Maine, Eastern Connecticut, Greater Hartford Connecticut, Rhode Island North, South County Rhode Island. Cape and The Islands.

 

How do I stop water from entering my basement?

This is the million dollar question. As a waterproofing contractor in Massachusetts and New England, I get asked this all the time. Mainly because up until now, the traditional methods just don’t work. Many of the mainstream coatings are just think layers of paint, that goes on looking very sharp. That is until the hydrostatic pressure from the building water table around the foundation becomes greater than the mechanical bond of the interior coating.  Because of the high failure rate of these products, the industry has turned to water control and abandonded waterproofing all together.

The big players go to great lengths to patent and develop new ways channeling the water through your basement floor claiming that they are waterproofing, because technically the water isn’t flowing where you can see it.  The problem is simple. Just because you can’t see the water doesn’t mean it still isn’t present promoting a wonder area for the generation of mold and mildew.  The drainage products do nothing to stop moisture or vapor. it simply created a moat for the water to flow. Evaporation is accelerated, especially if you finish your basement. water follows a law of hydrothermal migration which states water is always attracted to warmth and will move towards it. Your finished basement is warm, cement will not stop moisture or vapor. This is why you can never get rid of that musty moldy smell and you still have to run a dehumidifier.

What the industry is lacking is a product that will chemically bond to the foundation that stops the flow of water, and moisture. You also want that product to be vapor resistant. This product has to be strong enough to withstand a tremendous amount of hydrostatic pressure and anchor deep within the concrete. This Product must be designed to deal with Negative and Positive pressure to stop the water from entering the basement, stop the moisture from entering the basement, resist the vapor from entering your basement, last a very long time without losing its bond to the concrete. This product has to do some much that to 99% of the industry, it seems impossible. It seems like a dream that we will not see in out lifetime.

It is time for homeowners to wake up. Stop listening to the waterproofing experts that try to sell water moving systems for tens of thousands of dollars. We have the ability to stop the water from virtually any basement foundation wall or floor. We have the dream product that chemically bonds, and forms a long term permanent coating that stops the water from entering your basement.  Best of all, it will not cost millions. It is actually cheaper for use to permanently stop the water from entering the flooded basement, than it is to dig a french drain.

For those of you who have given up and decided to just deal with your basement pool, there is an option for you. We are located in Shrewsbury Massachusetts and serve the Greater Boston Area, North Shore Area, South Chore, Metrowest Area, Blackstone Valley Area, Worcester County, Southern New Hampshire, New Hampshire Coast, Rhode Island area, South County RI area, Greater Springfield, And most of Central, Massachusetts. We even get into Connecticut and surrounding areas.

To find out how we can stop the water from getting into your basement, please feel free to send an email to roym@leighgc.com or call 508-925-0252 to learn more information on how we can prevent the water from ruining your most valuable asset. Remember, hiding the water, is not waterproofing. You deserve to breath freely in your home, that includes the basement.