Structural

Efflorescence

Structural · definition

White mineral deposits left on masonry or concrete as water migrates through and evaporates. A sign of moisture movement to investigate, not just a stain.

Source: InterNACHI — Efflorescence for Inspectors

Where this comes up

  • Concrete

    A mix of cement, aggregate, and water that cures into a hard structural material used for footings, slabs, and foundations. Curing time a…

  • Egress Window Well

    An excavated, retained, and drained well allowing a code-compliant egress window below grade — required to make a basement bedroom legal.

  • Differential Settlement

    Uneven sinking of parts of a foundation, the cause of most serious structural cracking, sticking doors, and sloping floors.

  • Expansion Joint

    A deliberate separation that lets adjacent concrete or structure move with temperature and load without cracking or buckling.

  • Deflection

    How much a beam or joist bends under load. Code limits it (e.g., L/360) so floors don't feel bouncy or crack finishes even when not at ri…

  • Expansive Soil

    Clay-rich soil that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, cyclically stressing foundations. A leading cause of foundation cracking and mo…

  • Dead Load

    The permanent weight of the structure itself — framing, finishes, roofing. The baseline load every member is sized for.

  • Exterior Waterproofing

    Excavating to the footing and applying a membrane/coating plus drainage to the outside of the foundation — the most thorough (and costly)…

Where this term fits in a remodel

The pillar guides set terms like this one in context — what the work involves, what drives its cost, and where it sits in the sequence of a project. Pricing a specific house takes a defined scope and an on-site assessment.

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