If I have efflorescence do I have a problem?

Efflorescence on brickwork less than one year old can often be attributed to “new building bloom” and therefore may disappear as the salts work themselves out of the masonry material.
When efflorescence occurs more than a year after construction is complete, it can generally be attributed to excessive water penetration or poor drainage and is most often associated with severe winter temperatures.

What should I do?

Most efflorescing salts are water-soluble and many will disappear on their own accord – especially true of new building bloom. Most brick manufacturer’s recommend that you DO NOT try to clean efflorescence off the surface of the brick as it is never limited to what you see on the surface. It starts from the inside of the masonry and remains inside for years, if not indefinitely. Instead, the source of the water causing the efflorescence should be found and stopped. If the efflorescence does not go away on its own in a few months, it may never go away. But “cleaning” will not make it better – only worse.