Quoting the EP Henry web site: "Efflorescence is a whitish powder-like deposit, common on concrete and masonry products, which normally will disappear over time with weathering. Although it may present an aesthetic concern, efflorescence will not affect the structural performance of pavers or wall systems. Efflorescence is a natural occurrence for which EP Henry accepts neither responsibility nor liability. Contact your EP Henry Hardscaping Center for additional information and a copy of the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (ICPI) publication“Managing Efflorescence”." This is the link to the ICPI publication in PDF.

The FTP Layer allows file operations (such as installing Extensions or updating the main configuration file) without having to make all the folders and files writable. This has been an issue on Linux and other Unix based platforms in respect of file permissions. This makes the site admin's life a lot easier and increases security of the site.

You can check the write status of relevent folders by going to ''Help->System Info" and then in the sub-menu to "Directory Permissions". With the FTP Layer enabled even if all directories are red, Joomla! will operate smoothly.

NOTE: the FTP layer is not required on a Windows host/server.