[Kev Martin]

I had a phonecall yesterday from a good friend of mine who is not only a superb tiler but has loads of experience in Victorian Floor Restoration.

20 Days ago he cleaned and restored a Victorian Floor.  He then left it for 9 Days to dry due to other work circumstances and then went in to seal it with Aqua Mix Enrich N Seal Premium Penetrating Sealer.  All went well and the customer was over the moon and paid him and was so pleased even gave him a £30 Tip. This was 10 Days ago!

Monday morning this week the customer phones him having just got back from a 4 day break going mad and saying her floor is covered in White Powder.  He went over yesterday morning and phoned me to ask why the Aqua Mix Enrich & Seal had caused so much efflorescence but moreover why it had taken 6 days to appear?

I will say at this juncture that Aqua Mix Enrich N Seal is a very unique sealer it has no transport system to carry itself into the stone such as water or solvent.  It uses itself and by definition is over 90% Sealer!

I will send 2 x gallons of Aqua Mix Eff-Ex worth over £60 inc VAT as a prize for the best explanation of how and why the Efflorescence occurred?

Employees of Marblelife & Tiling Logistics may not enter & Jamie from CSUK your banned as well

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

[AshWhite]

Given the timing, I would say that the very low temperatures that we had over the last couple of weeks perhaps contributed to moisture being held in a porous tile for a lot longer than would generally be expected, and the increase in temperature we've had over the weekend has finally allowed the tiles to dry, and the evaporated moisture has left the effloresance?

[Jamie Pearson]

Employees of Marblelife & Tiling Logistics may not enter & Jamie from CSUK your banned as well

I don't want to play anyway.

[Jamie Pearson]

Anyone who wants the answer call me and we can split the prize 

[B Bailey]

It sounds like the salts from the cement coming through, and as said previously because of the cold it has taken a while for things to dry out, did it just wipe away?

[sherco]

I bet they have been walking on the floor with shoes that have picked up road salt..

[Kev Martin]

I bet they have been walking on the floor with shoes that have picked up road salt..

Andrew

I expected a perfect answer from you with your experience!  Do you want me to book you on the March Hard Floor Course?

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

[Kev Martin]

I will give you all a clue a day!  But to start you off here are two clues for Day 1!

1.  Heavy Snow since the floor was cleaned :
2.  VICTORIAN Floor so no ---- ----- --------  Underneath

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

[Phil @ Extreme Clean]

haven't got a clue but gonna throw a guess in anyway lol.

heavy snow melted no drainage under the floor so stayed wet in the tile when sealer applied it sucked up the moisture along with the salts and forced it to the top then dried.

 

[sherco]

Its one of those trick questions..'Sorry sir cant quote over the phone or by email, need to do a site visit to inspect the floor'!! 

[Mark@Able Stonecare]

As there was no DPM as the snow melted it caused moisture under the tiles causing efflorescence.

Mark

[Kev Martin]

As there was no DPM as the snow melted it caused moisture under the tiles causing efflorescence.

Mark

Mark

Congratulations!  Well done!

When he had cleaned it and left it all that time before he sealed it there was no efflorescence.  When he sealed it he did nothing wrong the job was perfect!  However the next day it then snowed heavily and stayed on the ground for a week then it melted into the ground that was already sodden.  The melted snow seeped under the house and soaked the substrate under the hall that had no Damp Proof Membrane so we had all three factors Water, Salts and a brilliant easy route.  The Aqua Mix Enrich N Seal that had been applied is MVT Moisture Vapour Transmissable (Breathable) so it just let the salts pass through.

The solution was to go in and brush it off dry with a soft to medium brush on a rotary and vac it up.  Instead he panicked and attacked it with Aqua Mix Phosphoric Acid Substitute diluted with water and the water used to dilute it sparked the efflorescence off again!  Simples!

Mark collect your Aqua Mix Eff-Ex when you pick your machine up!

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

[Mark@Able Stonecare]

Yay I won!! Wouldn't of got it without clue no2 

Mark

[mark_roberts]

It sounds like a good and right explanation but how could you prove it to the customer?

Thanks
Mark Roberts

PS.  Thanks for the course a few weeks ago Kevin.  Really enjoyed it.  Could you send me the usb stick so I can refresh the notes.  Thanks

[Kev Martin]

Mark

Certificates and USB on their way out tomorrow or Tuesday latest. The way you convince the customer is because if Efflorescence was caused or going to occur it would have happened almost immediately  after cleaning or it would have manifested itself within 48 hrs of the cleaning.  The sealing of the floor could not have caused it because there is no water in the sealer!


Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

[Shaun_Ashmore]

So how was it cured?

Shaun

[Kev Martin]

So how was it cured?

Shaun

The source of the water that caused the efflorescence stopped!  Nothing to say it could not re occur but that could be helped by the application of a coat of Aqua mix Eff-Ex.

http://www.custombuildingproducts.com/products/aqua-mix/problem-solvers/aqua-mix-eff-ex.aspx

Kev Martin
Marblelife ltd
Tiling Logistics

[StoneSealersHQ]

Just a couple of questions on this

Are there any photos of the floor with the efflorescence visible?
Where was the floor located within the home?
Did the efflorescence appear across the whole expanse of flooring or just the edges closest to the exterior walls?

[Kev Martin]

Just a couple of questions on this

Are there any photos of the floor with the efflorescence visible?
Where was the floor located within the home?
Did the efflorescence appear across the whole expanse of flooring or just the edges closest to the exterior walls?

Dave

There are no photos!  Why are they relavent to the post?
The floor was the Hallway in a Victorian House
The efflorescence was across the whole floor

Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
Tiling Logistics

[StoneSealersHQ]

Kevin, are you implying that the melting snow has created enough moisture to soak into the ground around the home and migrate through the entirety of the whole floor?