News / building problems
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Mar 05, 2014
Salinity in Australia - a big problem that builders need to consider.
Read more →The Master Builders Association meeting held in Maitland last week had a very entertaining and informative guest speaker from the NSW Department of Primary Industries. The topic was urban salinity. Salt from the soil can have a very destructive and catastrophic effect on masonry in buildings. Salt is drawn up into masonry with rising damp, and over many years with wet and dry cycles, more and more salt is deposited into the point of evaporation, typically in brickwork or stonework below damp proof course [DPC] level. The pressure exerted by crystallising salt can exceed 200MPa, whilst the tensile resistant strength...
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Jan 20, 2014
Rising Damp and Salt Attack - free PDF
Read more →We have recommended this publication on our blog previously: Salt Attack and Rising Damp - A Guide to Salt Damp in Historic and Older Buildings. Salt attack is as destructive to masonry as termites are to timber, and is prone to occur on any building site in Australia due to our soils and extreme weather patterns. As salt is dissolved by water and absorbed by masonry, the water evaporates, leaving behind more and more salt with each wet cycle. Salt crystallises to expand at extraordinary pressure (> 200MPa) to easily turn stone, bricks and mortar to dust. As outlined...
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Jan 13, 2014
Efflock to present to Master Builders Association meetings, northern NSW.
Read more →Efflock will appear as a guest speaker at six Master Builders Association meetings during February in the northern NSW region. The presentation will include topics such as efflorescence, leaking bathrooms and addressing salt attack when building in saline areas. Dates and towns are as follows: Monday 10 February 2014 at Coffs HarbourTuesday 11 February 2014 at BallinaWednesday 12 February 2014 at Tweed Heads Monday 17 February 2014 at TenterfieldTuesday 18 February 2014 at ArmidaleWednesday 19 February 2014 at Moree To attend these meetingsand for more details please contact the MBA Ballina office on (02) 6681 4266 or email gmarchant@mbansw.asn.au
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Apr 28, 2013
Efflorescence on ABC1's Gardening Australia:
Read more →Efflorescence is such a common building defect around Sydney and Australia. Did anyone else see Gardening Australia last night? Above: Check out the efflorescence coming up out of the grout joints from the tile bed on these balconies just next to Costa Georgiadis as he reported from an apartment complex in Redfern, Sydney. There was a fair bit of efflorescence seeping from render as well during the story. Using Efflock is the very best prevention for efflorescence. So simple and very economical.
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Apr 25, 2013
Recommended Reading: Salt Attack & Rising Damp in Buildings
Read more →This publication is a great reference for builders and for anyone considering building or renovating - particularly for understanding rising damp in older houses. Salt can be an incredibly destructive compound, and understanding how salt damp behaves is the first step in designing a solution to control and prevent salt attack. Efflock is an ideal product to prevent the transport of salt throughout masonry. Efflock is excellent for use in new construction to prevent efflorescence and damp problems in tiled patios and wet areas, but can be used in many different applications such as render and brick mortar. It can sometimes however,...
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Apr 14, 2013
Australian Master Tilers Association
Read more →Efflock is proud to be a member of the newly established, Australian Master Tilers Association. The Association was created last year to benefit the tiling and waterproofing industries and their customers (see their 'About Us' page). The AMTA Forum is an excellent platform for exchanging problems, ideas and advice, and is open for participation both from trade professionals and the general public.
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Apr 02, 2013
Are you trying to install a secondary membrane, but it keeps raining?!!
Read more →Having Efflock in a tile bed means a secondary membrane to control efflorescence is no longer required. However, Efflock is proving very useful to a number of our customers who still prefer to install a secondary membrane on their tiled balconies as another line of defence. An apartment block in Sydney with efflorescence stains from the top balcony streaming down the facade. The permeable yet hydrophobic effect of a tile screed containing Efflock means that a tile bed can expel moisture from the hydration process, whilst repelling any rain that comes along in the mean time. A screed containing Efflock is...
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Mar 31, 2013
Efflock is the preferred choice for protecting million dollar views
Read more →Even the most exclusive suburbs of Sydney with some of the most impressive private homes do not escape the scourge of efflorescence. Efflock is fast becoming the product of choice for remedial builders and tilers to rectify and prevent unsightly efflorescence stains from occurring. Check out our 'Stockists' page or speak to your local trade supplier about stocking Efflock for your next project. Efflock is also available online with prompt free delivery throughout Australia.
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Mar 30, 2013
Bulk orders of Efflock
Read more →We've had some customers requiring large quantities of Efflock for larger projects of late. There are certainly some big balconies out there, one customer has over 7 cubic meters of tile beds to protect from efflorescence! We are able to supply 20 litre drums on request, simply speak to your local stockist to request a large drum, or go to our Contact Us page and give Ben a call today.
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Mar 06, 2013
Frustration of rain on tile screed with exposed balconies.
Read more →By using Efflock, a secondary membrane to control efflorescence is not required. There are however, builders, architects and engineers who insist on including a secondary membrane as they like to 'cover all bases'. I can understand that; as builder myself, I like to include a few insurances in my work to avoid getting that phone call nobody wants. A secondary membrane remains good building practice, so long as excessive moisture is not sandwiched and trapped in between layers in the process. I've also had situations myself in remedial work, where we opted to screed first, then apply a membrane and...