Rock salt rising back through blocks - How to get rid of the residue

[shadyady]

Hi All
New to the Brew Cabin and looking for a little help
I have a client that has been using rock salt on their block paving hard stand and the salt is rising through the blocks
I have tried cleaning them with
1 pressure washer flat surface cleaner
2 turbo nozzel
3 brick acid and wash down
the blocks still look like there has been a snow blizard blown over them or some painter and decorator has had some left over brilliant white and didnt like the old colour
Is there a product on the market to combat and clean

Hope some one has come across this and can help with some advice ???

[lutonlagerlout]

sounds like efflorescence ady
have a good read mate
LLL

[Tony McC]

If they have foolishly been using rock salt as a de-icer, it will, firstly, eff-up the blocks over the medium-long term, and secondly, it will poison the jointing and bedding, hang around in there and then be brought back to the surface by cappillary action and natural evaporation.

Repeated washing with nothing more complicated than clean water will, eventually, flush it all out, and that should eb an end to the problem, but you have to get the dozy clients to stop using bloody salt on their paving or the problem will just keep happening and you will just keep taking their money!

[TheRockConcreting]

Repeated washing with nothing more complicated than clean water will, eventually, flush it all out

Would you recommend using hot water?

[Tony McC]

Not nesser celery.

Hot water would help dissolve the salt on or close to the surface that bit faster, but as the water is intended to dampen the jointing and bedding, and then both flush through the salt and drive evaporation, the few percentage points of additional dissolution initially achieved by the use of hot water are no great gain. It's quite likely to need repeated soakings, which are easiest done by spraying with a hose or one of those oscillating sprinklers, so cold water would be adequate.

[shadyady]

Thanks to all for your help !!!

I will go back and see what the client wants to do
sounds like a costly exercise .
just one more question what can they use instead of rocksalt ??

Cheers
Ady

[TheRockConcreting]

just one more question what can they use instead of rocksalt ??

envirothaw

[Tony McC]

...or hot water and grit sand: the water melts the ice, the grit sand aids traction