[Dave Willis]

Customer has a sun room with glass roof. When we get heavy rain the water streams down the glass from the roof through the brickwork and leaves a residue all over the patio doors and windows. Windsol doesn't touch it neither will a scouring pad (non scratch) neither will Viakal or Kill Rock. Scraper will get most of it off but there is still a stain left behind. Next time I go to clean they will be covered again.

Any products out there that will work?

[wfp master]

Ive seen this on sandstone buildings the salt runs.
Maybe some kind of sealer brush it on the brick.??

[Soupy]

Sounds like limestone to me. Try limescale remover.

Yeah, and get them to seal the brickwork..

http://www.decoratingwarehouse.co.uk/buy/paints--coatings/masonry-paints/ronseal-thompsons-waterseal/1320

[wfp master]

Its called efflorescence salt.
Google brick salt.

[Dave Willis]

Yep that's why the title is Brick Salt  

It's not limescale. The roof has a raised glass lantern surrounded by a rubberised roof. The water from the glass goes down a gutter. The water from the roof simply goes through the brickwork and mortar I would imagine - they probably forgot to run it up the walled edge.. I don't want to know how to waterproof it.

I want to know how to remove it.





...... and don't tell me a small waffle cloth!!!!

[Spruce]

Dave,

I think that this is one of those instances that you have to walk away from the problem. Wash as usual and leave it, mineral deposits and all.

The solution is for your customer to sort the actual problem out and most probably replace the glass as well.

You can spend ages trying to sort it out each time you go there - it will not end in your favour no matter how much you try.

[Dave Willis]

It all depends on the amount of rain we get. Once cleared it can go for months before it comes back but with this persistent rain it will be back. She has paid me extra in the past to scrape it all off. It's nearly new and ruins the windows. I'm sure there must be a chemical out there that can dissolve it. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's come accross it

[britishwill]

I have the same problem on 3 of my clients windows. They are all new buildings btw. I spent 2 days removing all the mineral/salt residue off one of my clients. I told them I thought it would come back but they were going to charge the builder so wanted it done anyway. 6 weeks later they were back to there original state. It is very frustrating for both parties. No secret product I have found works on they long term.
Is there a running theme on this post like it only happens with new Buildings?

[Dave Willis]

We are all glass cleaners  This site has 20,000 members surely someone has figured it out?

[ben M]

run forest,run! 

[Dave Mills]

Car polish.  Gets rid of anything and everything every time.  Any unidentified marks get the treatment and always finish perfectly clean.

[Richard Shepherd]

Try treble zero wire wool, it's super fine so won't scratch glass.

I have very same thing on a couple of the houses I clean, one customer has had his house sprayed with sealant and virtually eradicated the problem, other just moans when he notices it and blames wfp.

[Tadgh O Shea]

Hi Dave, good to see you are becoming so knowledgeable on the little waffle glass cloths, yes they will not remove the efflorescence from the glass, but we can offer you a product that will remove it safely from the glass as this product contains no hydrochloric acid, it comes in a 1ltr concentrate bottle which you can dilute  3 to 1 into a trigger spray bottle then apply it to your glass surface spraying the solution from the bottom up to the top, then let the solution dwell on the surface for 2 to 3 minutes, then finish off by using a damp magic eraser pad to remove the ingrained efflorescence, sometimes if the efflorescence has been on the glass for long periods of time it can etch itself onto the surface making it almost impossible to remove. but in your situation as you are cleaning your clients windows on a regular basis this method should work very well.      Regards  Tadgh

[Roger Oakley]

Hi Dave, good to see you are becoming so knowledgeable on the little waffle glass cloths, yes they will not remove the efflorescence from the glass, but we can offer you a product that will remove it safely from the glass as this product contains no hydrochloric acid, it comes in a 1ltr concentrate bottle which you can dilute  3 to 1 into a trigger spray bottle then apply it to your glass surface spraying the solution from the bottom up to the top, then let the solution dwell on the surface for 2 to 3 minutes, then finish off by using a damp magic eraser pad to remove the ingrained efflorescence, sometimes if the efflorescence has been on the glass for long periods of time it can etch itself onto the surface making it almost impossible to remove. but in your situation as you are cleaning your clients windows on a regular basis this method should work very well.      Regards  Tadgh

Tadgh
How do you get any solution to dwell on a vertical surface that is fluid for 2-3 minutes? gravity will win out every time unless you are applying  a poultice or a paste?

[wfp master]

We are all glass cleaners  This site has 20,000 members surely someone has figured it out?

yes brick sealant.

[Soupy]

You are wasting your time unless you tell them to seal the area that is causing the problem. Unless of course you charge appropriately and remove it every time...

[Dave Mills]

Hi Dave, good to see you are becoming so knowledgeable on the little waffle glass cloths, yes they will not remove the efflorescence from the glass, but we can offer you a product that will remove it safely from the glass as this product contains no hydrochloric acid, it comes in a 1ltr concentrate bottle which you can dilute  3 to 1 into a trigger spray bottle then apply it to your glass surface spraying the solution from the bottom up to the top, then let the solution dwell on the surface for 2 to 3 minutes, then finish off by using a damp magic eraser pad to remove the ingrained efflorescence, sometimes if the efflorescence has been on the glass for long periods of time it can etch itself onto the surface making it almost impossible to remove. but in your situation as you are cleaning your clients windows on a regular basis this method should work very well.      Regards  Tadgh

Car polish.  Gets rid of anything and everything every time.  Any unidentified marks get the treatment and always finish perfectly clean.

[Dave Mills]

Customer has a sun room with glass roof. When we get heavy rain the water streams down the glass from the roof through the brickwork and leaves a residue all over the patio doors and windows. Windsol doesn't touch it neither will a scouring pad (non scratch) neither will Viakal or Kill Rock. Scraper will get most of it off but there is still a stain left behind. Next time I go to clean they will be covered again.

Any products out there that will work?

Car polish.  Gets rid of anything and everything every time.  Any unidentified marks get the treatment and always finish perfectly clean.

[Dave Mills]

Not sure if I have already mentioned this but use car polish.  Gets rid of anything and everything every time.  Any unidentified marks get the treatment and always finish perfectly clean.

[elite mike]

  yep , think we got the message there dave 

might give that a go and see what happens , cheers