White Staining

Have you noticed a white stain that appears across the bricks on your chimney after it rains? The white staining or efflorescence is a common problem for folks in Lakeville, MN, Bloomington, MN, and throughout the Twin Cities Area. It's an important sign to watch as it indicates that the brick-and-mortar absorbs moisture.

What Causes White Stains to Appear on My Chimney?

Chimneys typically experience white staining, or efflorescence, from excess moisture seeping through the bricks and evaporating on the outer surfaces. The discoloration is caused when salts inside the clay brickwork rise to the surface. While easy to clean with a mild cleanser and brush, this phenomenon usually indicates an underlying issue: moisture intrusion into the brick material. Since the white stain will continue to reappear after the sun dries the wet masonry, the best thing to do is call Twin City Fireplace at (952) 941-2685 (Minneapolis area) or (651) 204-0112 (St. Paul area). Our chimney professionals will inspect the chimney and take the necessary action to prevent further water damage to the masonry.

How Do You Remove Efflorescence from a Chimney?

The surefire way to permanently remove the efflorescence from your chimney is to determine the extent of the existing masonry damage. After a thorough top-to-bottom chimney inspection, our masonry professionals may recommend one or more of the following repairs to address the underlining issues that cause the white staining:

Tuckpointing/Repointing: When there are gaps in the mortar joints, tuckpointing or repointing will replace the decaying mortar with a new, durable compound to restore your chimney's structural integrity preventing further damage to the surrounding bricks. Our skilled masons can even color-match the repair to match the rest of the chimney for a beautiful, seamless appearance as if the damage never occurred.

Individual brick repair/replacement: In some cases, the water damage has spread through the joints to the individual bricks, causing them to crack, chip, loosen, or fall off the chimney. Our talented masons specialize in repairing and replacing individual bricks so your chimney will look fantastic and be safe to use.

Partial Chimney Rebuilding: We often see white staining confined to a smaller section of the chimney, like from the roof up, depending on which area battles the most rain or snow. Partial rebuilding restores the structure’s integrity while avoiding a costlier complete rebuild.

Chimney Waterproofing: After completing all the masonry repairs, we highly recommend waterproofing the chimney. Our sealant is specially formulated for masonry chimneys that experience sub-freezing temperatures. Once applied and dried, it will create a protective barrier, shielding the brick and mortar from rain and snow.