Efflorescence in Stucco

Most of the components of a stucco system contain salts. There are salts in the cement, the sand, the plasticizer, and the water. Efflorescence, in a plaster system, consists of salts or other free unbound elements brought to the surface by evaporating water.

There is a period of time during the curing process in which the stucco system is most susceptible to efflorescence.  Rain that is shortly followed by warmth can result in salts that are drawn to the surface of the stucco system resulting in the appearance of white crystalline deposits that can be unsightly. This is efflorescence.

An example of this phenomena is the white stuff that appear on you hat after you have been sweating on a warm dry day. The salt in the sweat created by your body dries and crystallizes on your hat.

The fact is that there are salts in the stucco system.  Given the right set of circumstances, the salt will rise to the surface of the stucco. This is usually seasonal and within a year or so the salts are typically completely dissipated. It can be brushed away or cleaned off with a slightly acidic solution, such as diluted vinegar.

 

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