Paint removal without damaging brick

[Welderpaul]

Rather than repaint this refurb terrace house project It makes sense to remove the peeling paint front and back. The brick is in decent condition.
I need to scaffold it anyway to replace the RWGs and do the verges and fascias.

I've looked at the various different methods for removal. Does anyone have real world experience of what works best/most cost/effective?

Ideally something that can be done 'in-house' rather than a contractor.

Thanks all.

 

[gaz1]

its more sand blasting that will shift the paint

i suposed you could try a power washer but i bet you would need the deisel powered one

 

[Wildefalcon]

Brick acid?

 

[Pond frog]

I saw a similar looking property near me having the paint removed only last week, I didn’t pay much attention to it but it looked like they were using a high powered pressure washer. Looked like it was doing a reasonable job but there were some bits of paint remaining

 

[brightspark]

wants blasting with crushed glass or wet high pressure blasting with sand but thats real messy

 

[Welderpaul]

wants blasting with crushed glass or wet high pressure blasting with sand but thats real messy

Yeah - This is the thing - need to avoid unduly lathering everyone elses houses with mess

 

[roofman]

Yeah - This is the thing - need to avoid unduly latering everyone elses houses with mess

If your fitting scaffold then just fully sheet it up and work on inside...messy for a day but well worth it to get it back to period brick.

 

[brightspark]

i blasted my house im in now and the previous one people think its fairly new but its 150 years old . i pinched the blown sand from redcar beach car park one sunday morning a big trailer load as above sheet the sides off

 

[marlinspike]

I'll be interested to hear the suggestions. We have a half rendered house and the previous owners painted the render and then (presumably) it rained and now there are paint stains down the lower brickwork. Tried a couple of brick cleaner type products, those didn't work. Pressure washing was damaging the bricks (they are textured not smooth) so that's out.

 

[Blue Chips]

If they're soft, low-fire bricks and soft mortar, abrasive blasting can be disastrous. If you want to use abrasive media, test a small area first. I have an abrasive grit attachment for my pressure washer that would make short work of the paint...if the bricks and mortar are hard enough to withstand it without too much erosion.

We removed several layers of both oil-base and latex paint from parts of a brick chimney in the old house we recently sold, using a product called CitriStrip It took two applications and a bit of scrubbing after each application, but the bricks and mortar held up well and came out quite clean.

 

[Erie Fred]

At work, when they need to remove lead based paint to weld a fitting on a column, they use something like Blue chips
described, but with some form of sheet that get's pushed into it (or a brush is used to cover it with chemicals).
Leave overnight, peel off sheet, and paint comes with it.

 

[addjunkie]

Id say wet blasting, but youll need to re point I suspect!

 

[mark roberts]

Paint stripper, then power wash

 

[Brad93]

150°C Pressure Washer might work.

My pal removes graffiti in minutes with it

 

[brightspark]

it would want re pointing whichever you use

 

[8ob]

A steam cleaner would probably work quite well on that, soften up a square meter at a time with the heat and then get under it with the lance,it will probably fall off.

Bob

 

[brightspark]

A steam cleaner would probably work quite well on that, soften up a square meter at a time with the heat and then get under it with the lance,it will probably fall off.

Bob

i wish

 

[8ob]

i wish

Worth a try, its basically emulsion and steam will get into that. Could easily try a patch using a wallpaper steamer plate.

Bob

 

[malcolm]

It's likely masonry paint. Usually that's done with a DOFF (hot water pressure washer) with paint stripper. When used sensitively it doesn't damage brick but will push out failed mortar. See https://www.periodproperty.co.uk/forum/threads/paint-stripping-brickwork.14124/#post-206882 for mine. It's not a DIY job - expensive equipment and really horrible. I was recommended a contractor by Strippers of Sudbury.

Sand blasting works too but will take the surface off the bricks so they won't match next door.

 

[Welderpaul]

Thanks chaps. The bricks are of 1900 vintage, hard as hell and very smooth so the paint shouldn't have a great bond to it - hopefully. There are areas that have failed anyway.

The mortar joints are very thin (how did they lay bricks to such tight tolerance without 10mm beds like we have today?) so hopefully the mortar will stay ut - seems solid enough.