Some of you may have noticed that on occasion the new brick pavers on the mall appear white, or discolored. Well there is a simple explanation of the discoloration, so here it is.
The white surface on the brick is caused by the efflorescence of salt in or on the brick surface. How does the salt get there one might ask? Well, the salt comes in several ways. One possibility is the sand mixture on which the brick rest and that is swept into the joints of the brick may contain elements of salt. Another is that when crews spread salt on the mall to melt ice, obviously, salt finds its way onto the brick surface. As this salt is trampled under foot, or machinery, it is ground down into the brick surface.
Whenever there is moisture present, either due to rain or morning dew the water will draw the salt out of the brick surface and it will turn.... yep, you guessed it: white.
This is not something that will require city crew efforts to correct or fix. The salt that works its way onto the brick surface due to sand will eventually wear off. Salt that is on the brick due to salting the surface to melt snow will always be on the surface as often as the ice melting salt is necessary.
Over the first few years the white discoloration will be noticeable, but in time, it will become virtually non-existent. Except for when we get that snow (like those 6 inches we got last week) and crews have to spread salt on the surface.
Long story short: the bricks will be fine, and soon enough all that salt will be worn off and our bricks will be there beautiful red color again. :)
