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How To Remove A Concrete Retaining Wall

Concrete wall stained with efflorescence
Efflorescence can be temporary, or these white powdery stains tin be permanent.

Powdery white stains on your retaining wall are likely caused past efflorescence. As concrete cures, wet slowly migrates to the surface of the block where it evaporates into the air.

Like a candle wick, the water brings dissolved salts and minerals from within the concrete mixture. As the water evaporates, those minerals are left on the surface of your cake, giving information technology a whitish, hazy or streaky stain.

In virtually cases, this problem is temporary — eventually, the salts will all be removed from the concrete, and the efflorescence will stop. How long this takes depends on the ingredients with which the physical was made, and how long it takes for the concrete to cure and dry completely.

However, with mural retaining walls, your blocks are continually being exposed to groundwater and hydrostatic pressure, which can forcefulness wet (and more salts from the soil) into the blocks to subsequently evidence up equally efflorescence.

Here are some tips for dealing with efflorescence:

  • Efflorescence is ugly, but information technology does not touch the strength or functioning of the block.
  • Normal efflorescence should terminate in one case the concrete is completely cured. Ongoing streaky stains or cakey buildup, particularly at joints and cracks, may indicate a trouble with water infiltration and drainage.
  • Information technology's of import to reduce the amount of moisture that is getting into your wall. Mortared walls should exist treated on both sides with a waterproofing sealer. Non-mortared, stackable retaining walls should be backfilled with gravel, with water drainage directed off to the sides. This prevents h2o force per unit area from building up in the soil behind the wall (and forcing itself into the concrete blocks).
  • Avoid pressure-washing or overly wetting your blocks. This makes them wait nice at the time, but it forces h2o into the physical, inviting more efflorescence.
  • Make clean off light stains with a dry, stiff castor, then remove the dust with a damp sponge. If you take heavy stains, try scrubbing with white vinegar. Stubborn stains can be removed with a masonry cleaning solution.
  • Cleaning solutions are often specialized to address item mineral stains. Check their labels carefully.

Mind to the Today'southward Homeowner Podcast for more habitation improvement tips!

  • [1:29] How to prevent paint from cracking
  • [7:38] How to get efflorescence off a concrete retaining wall
  • [thirteen:33 Best New Product: Behr Ultra Scuff Defence Paint
  • [15:09] DIY-friendly way to repair creaky floors in a second-floor apartment
  • [16:55] Tips for removing stains from vinyl flooring in a camper
  • [nineteen:48] Tips for choosing the right baseboard
  • [24:52] Unproblematic Solution: How to easily make a shelf that attaches to pegboard — followed by some general pegboard tips
  • [28:12] Fan Feedback: Danny'south suggestion to utilize silicone caulk to prevent slipping worked perfectly for this listener's workout mat

Simple Solutions

Pegboard Shelf — Perforated pegboard provides an piece of cake fashion to organize mitt tools by hanging them on metal hooks. Hither's how to add a shelf for storing items that aren't hands hung by hooks, such every bit glue bottles, tape measures, and cans of machine oil. Starting time by cutting a i×4 to 8 or x in. long. And so measure in 1 in. from each end of the board and drill a iii/16-in.-dia. pigsty into the back border. Exist sure to bore the holes at least 1½ in. deep. Insert into each hole a short, direct pegboard hook, and so use the 2 hooks to hang the shelf on the pegboard console.
WatchHow to Hang a Shelf on Pegboard

Untying Tight Knots — To loosen an specially tight knot in a rope, cable or twine, achieve for your nail set. A nail set with its rigid shaft and narrow, tapering tip is perfect for busting loose stubborn knots. Start by forcing the tip of the nail set into the center of the knot. Wiggle it around a little, then force it in a niggling deeper. Continue in this manner until the unabridged tapered tip has passed through the knot. Now use your fingers to the tip of the nail ready to "hook" one of the rope strands and pull straight dorsum. At this point there'south usually enough slack so that you can easily untie the rope. If you lot don't have a nail set, attempt an awl or Phillips screwdriver.


Fan Feedback

"I was listening to 1 of your podcasts recently, and a suggestion you had about making a throw rug non-skid was a huge help to me!" TH fan Rosemary Rollman writes.

I am making my small living room into a conditioning room. My son bought me a 'puzzle piece' mat, and I was going to utilize a non-slip rug mat to keep information technology from sliding around.

"You suggested to a listener to use silicone caulk on his rug. So I did the same on each piece of my mat. It works perfectly! I can practise jumping jacks or whatever I need to, and those pieces do not move. Thanks and so much. What a smashing proposition!


  • Simple Dark-green Concrete Cleaner
  • Zep Physical Cleaner
  • Rust-Oleum Concrete Cleaner
  • Home Depot
  • O'Berry Squeek No More
  • Drylok

Ask a Question! (Podcast)

Enquire a question and nosotros could answer it on the "Today's Homeowner Podcast!" We also may employ it on our nationally syndicated radio broadcast or on todayshomeowner.com.

Source: https://todayshomeowner.com/podcast/removing-efflorescence-from-retaining-walls-ep-104/

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