Brick patios create a wonderful area of the home for relaxation and entertainment. Unlike wooden decks, they are considered to be maintenance free. But are they really? The simple answer is no they are not. Although brick patios don’t require the annual cleaning and staining that a wood deck often does, patios that are left uncared for can easily turn in to an unattractive area. They can become uneven, faded out and consumed by weeds.

Efflorescence is a crystalline deposit of water-soluble salts (usually white) on the surface of masonry. All masonry materials are susceptible to efflorescence. Water-soluble salts that appear in chemical analysis in only a few tenths of one percent are sufficient to cause efflorescence on a masonry surface. The amount of salts and character of the deposits can vary widely, according to the nature of the soluble materials present and atmospheric conditions.