It isn’t easy to remove paint from brick but many business owners have premises with painted brick walls.

When the paint starts flaking, they assume that the best thing to do is just paint over again.

However, it is always a better idea to first remove paint from brick before adding new paint.

This is because you don’t necessarily know what the old paint contains.

You would do better to start again with a longer lasting weather-proof paint.

Removing the old paint from a building is a good way to tidy it up and make it more appealing.

There is a current trend for industry chic, so you may even wish to remove paint from your interior brick walls too.

Especially if they are an attractive colour and texture.

Many business owners like to remove paint from brick as an easy, quick way to achieve a new look without breaking the bank.

PRESSURE WASHING

Pressure washing is one of the most common ways of dealing with dirt and grime build up on your walls.

It is also an effective method for removing paint.

Especially when the water is mixed with an environmentally friendly media to help the paint along.

This method is ideal for outer walls but may not be suitable inside as the water needs somewhere to drain away.

However, pressure washing is suitable for many different types of brick so could be a good solution for your particular walls.

What do you do once you have finished removing all the paint from your walls with the pressure washer?

You must ensure that you wipe up any paint flakes on the floor before they stick.

You may wish to use a chemical like acetone on some particularly stubborn areas.

SANDBLASTING

This is a simple and effective process that works in a similar way to pressure washing.

The fine particles of the sand act as an abrasive, removing the paint from the walls in a seamless movement.

Because the sand is so fine, you will need to use safety gear:

  • safety glasses
  • a dust mask

And some protective clothing like:

  • gloves
  • long sleeves

While sand is inert and completely harmless normally, you need to be careful when it is moving at such fast speeds.

As it fills up the air, you should protect yourself from inhaling it or getting it in your eyes.

Sandblasting is usually best kept outside.

If you have a large indoor area, it may be suitable for interior brick walls too.

However, as sand is a very abrasive material, you shouldn’t use this method on more delicate bricks.

It may cause them too much wear.

This is particularly true of public buildings such as churches where limestone is commonly used.

TORC CLEANING

Torc cleaning is ideal for buildings built with limestone.

The low pressure and superfine particles used will remove the stains and dirt from the building.

It will avoid causing any damage to this type of brickwork.

In fact, this method has been used on many old and public buildings.

Buildings such as Buckingham Palace and St Pancras Station to great effect by the Basildon Stone team.

The completely harmless aggregate, calcium carbonate is the key component in this method of cleaning.

It is essentially the same material as the limestone.

This means that it can clean the stone without causing any damage or wear.

POULTICE PAINT REMOVAL

The final method to remove paint from brick is the poultice paint remover.

This is a slightly acidic paste that is spread over the paint.

Once it is pulled away will remove the paint leaving just a clean brick wall behind.

If you wish to remove paint from brick interior walls without the mess of sand or water, this could be the ideal solution for you.

This method is also ideal if you have detailed surfaces.

Areas such as decorative lintels where other methods may not be able to reach difficult crevices in the brickwork.

The paste is much easier to manipulate and can reach even the toughest to reach sections of your brick.

This is what makes this method popular on older buildings with more intricate stonework.

ALWAYS HIRE A PROFESSIONAL TO REMOVE PAINT FROM BRICK

You may be tempted to try these methods yourself.

Or perhaps you might request that your building maintenance manager does the work.

However, it is vital to seek a professional contractor instead.

This is because you need to be able to ensure that your bricks are not damaged in anyway.

Not paying attention to this could affect the structural integrity of the whole building.

Professional paint strippers will also be able to advise you on the best method or methods for your particular wall.

This will ensure that you achieve the specific results you want.