Removing paint from brick

[CTR0022]

Looking at a house that is tied up in bankruptcy. Owners painted the entire exterior brick white which was a big no no with the HOA. Going to get some quotes this week. But wanted to know: A) if anyone here does this work, and if they wanted to come provide a quote in the Carrollton area. B) whats the best route of removing the paint, sand blasting, paint removing chemicals? C) Is one process better than the other? Does one cause any damage to the brick? D) What can I expect the quotes to come in at for a 2 story 3000 foot house?

Anything else I need to know about this process?

TIA

[Austin]

Probably be cheaper to remove existing white painted brick and replace with brick of your choice.

I can’t think of any way to remove paint not damage the brick and it look good

[Bill]

It will cost a lot to remove the paint and bring the brick back to the original color. I've never done it, just my opinion. I'd approach the HOA and ask would they rather have a vacant house with white bricks, or a sold occupied house with the bricks a better color.

[SaintBlaise]

I removed some paint from bricks before. This house I bought had some paint on the soffit where it met the aluminum siding, so it wasn’t the entire brick. To remove it, I put a round wire brush on my cordless dewalt while keeping the area irrigated with a water hose. If I didn’t use the water, it would gray-up the brick. On your scale, I’d look for a different method.

[eliteweldingco]

Would muratic acid not do it?

[Snowflake Killa]

Originally Posted by eliteweldingco

Would muratic acid not do it?

No, sir, it works on cement not paint

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Snowflake Killa]

I would hire a painter to repaint it to look like brick

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Snowflake Killa]

Maybe sponge paint. Hell, that is all I have

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[Dale Moser]

Chemicals are going to be the fastest way to start…but I’m afraid you have more of a paint question than a brick question. Whatever you do is not likely to leave you with a very desirable product without more attention. The chemicals are going to be hard on windows, landscaping, etc, and will require a lot of pressure, or contact, to achieve any sort of desirable affect.

You are in a tough spot until you can do some real world tests. You could easily damage the brick, or more likely the mortar, or it could be some good old fashioned stuff that’s like steel. No way to know until you get to work on it.

Are you looking for a beauty queen, or is this a rental?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dale Moser]

I’ll tell you what I would be looking for, and that is a partial removal that leaves you with a “frosted”, or “smeared”, look.

I think your best shot at that is gonna be a crew with grinders and wire cups who can concentrate on the brick itself, and avoid the mortar joints. There is no way to know how well it will work until you try it, and anyone who tells you different is a liar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RifleBowPistol]

Pressure washer should take the paint off. I have cleaned paint off of brick and concrete with a pressure washer. If the paint is very good, you might have to try blowing sand with the pressure washer, that might take a layer off of the brick. Buddy used his pressure washer, and sand to strip the frame on his truck, worked very well. I have had gotten good results just using a pressure washer.

[TeamAmerica]

What does the HOA propose the owner do? There is no easy way to put the toothpaste back in the tube!

[Preacher Man]

Something else to think about, if somehow you get the paint off the brick, the brick might be in bad shape. That's one of the reasons why people paint brick.

If the brick used to be in decent shape, the paint removal process may damage it.

Many moons ago, I owned a small painting business. I wouldn't even attempt a job like that.

[RWB]

House down the street had a bad German Smear done that was not approved by the HOA. The owner had to sand blast the entire house to get it off. Not sure of the cost but they sandblasted for a solid week on a roughly 3500 sq ft house.

[Txhunter3000]

What's the HOA's take on a stucco look?

[Mayhem]

I’m guessing the brick color was ugly as to why the previous owner painted it.

I would get with the HOA and asked what they would want a person to do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[W E H]

I’d work with the hoa to make it look like frosted brick as mentioned above.

[mmurphey]

I once removed white paint from a brick fireplace & wall using paint stripper. It took a few applications, but it looked great when I was done. Would have been MUCH easier outside: apply paint stripper then pressure wash. Repeat a couple of times. You could test this in a small area pretty easily to see if it works for you. It will take some work, but that's true of everything worth doing.

I also considered dry ice blasting, but didn't seem practical for an inside project. Look this up, lots of YouTube videos showing paint removal from brick with dry ice blasting.

[ThisLadyHunts]

Years ago, I was chairman of a committee that oversaw the maintenance and upkeep of a historic house in the university area. At some point, previous members of this committee decided to paint this all brick house, much to the detriment of the house as well
As the neighborhood.

I did some research into having the paint removed and was told that sandblasting the house would the only way to completely remove the paint from the brick. HOWEVER, if we decided to go this route, we would likely end up degrading the mortar so badly that the integrity of the brick would be severely compromised. Further, we were told that the lengths the sandblasting contractor would have to go to “drape” the house in order to avoid damaging neighboring houses, as well as cars and other structures, would factor significantly into the cost which, as I recall, was incredibly prohibitive.

This was probably 35 years ago when I was involved in this and, to this day, I get calls from new members of this committee who would like to restore the brick to its original “exposed” finish. The house is still painted so I expect there have been no newer or better methodologies to address this issue.

People who paint over brick (or rock) are a special kind of evil.

[Dale Moser]

Originally Posted by mmurphey

I once removed white paint from a brick fireplace & wall using paint stripper. It took a few applications, but it looked great when I was done. Would have been MUCH easier outside: apply paint stripper then pressure wash. Repeat a couple of times. You could test this in a small area pretty easily to see if it works for you. It will take some work, but that's true of everything worth doing.

I also considered dry ice blasting, but didn't seem practical for an inside project. Look this up, lots of YouTube videos showing paint removal from brick with dry ice blasting.

2 story, 3000sq ft home.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tkuehn5410]

2 recommendations from me. 6-9" angle grinder with a coarse grit will be my recommendation. Leave the paint covering the mortar. It will look wicked cool! Not sure if you'll need to reseal the brick after paint removal. Could also apply paint stripper with small hand sprayer and then pressure wash after application.

[Dale Moser]

Also keep in mind that any chemical stripper you use is going to run down the wall with removed paint.

If you end up buying this house, shoot me a PM, and I will reach out to some folks who have more experience with this than I do.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dale Moser]

Looking back at your original post, I see you are still just looking. So I’ll try to offer a little better advice, but please keep in mind that there are inumerable variables.

Everything is a guess, not knowing the brick, the paint, the age, and how much of the house is brick.

I would plan for repairs to start at $15k, and I would think that would be the minimum, unless repainting a different color is an option. It could easily get to $30k, depending what is required.

Anything capable of taking paint off of brick, will warrant sealing the brick afterward. It may not be necessary, but I would not do otherwise. Sealing is not terribly difficult or expensive, but it’s a factor. I would spray on a breathable siloxane sealer like diedrich 303s.

HOAs are a huge X factor, they are mostly run by idiots and busybodies. I’d try to pin them down on a process, an expectation of appearance, or expense cap, ahead of time. Any may prove difficult to get done, but the process of trying may glean you some knowledge if nothing else.

A consult with a real estate attorney may also be worthwhile in determining what is/is not required, in pursuit of satisfying the HOA, and what powers they really have.

Consider that changing the overall color of the brick may also require repainting the trim/siding, to satisfy the HOA, or the Mrs.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sackett]

The best and maybe the cheapest route is going to be stucco over the brick, if the Deed Restrictions are ok with "Stucco".

If you or your wife "Love" the house, i'd factor in an offer with the cost of completely re-bricking the house. Hell, the bank that owns the house may find a sucker, but it doesn't have to be you.

[Dale Moser]

I’m not a “stucco” expert, but i doubt they can/will apply it to painted brick due to adhesion issues. I don’t know that to be fact, but real stucco requires a certain amount of absorption that I’m not sure you can get over paint. There could be a synthetic option that will adhere, but as mentioned, you’ll have to get that by the HOA nazis as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PondPopper]

I would not even attempt that project.. It will be a major PITA at best and it will only get worse from there..
That sounds like a fun HOA.. I'd find another house.

[cva34]

Maybe Sand blast ...But might be costly

[mjhaverkamp]

Originally Posted by Dale Moser

I’m not a “stucco” expert, but i doubt they can/will apply it to painted brick due to adhesion issues. I don’t know that to be fact, but real stucco requires a certain amount of absorption that I’m not sure you can get over paint. There could be a synthetic option that will adhere, but as mentioned, you’ll have to get that by the HOA nazis as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They would most likely attach a lathe to the brick and then apply stucco, will not be a cheap fix.

[bowhntrmatt]

I'm no expert, but getting all the paint off will be extremely difficult and labor intensive, and will likely only expose some crappy ugly brick beneath.

Stucco over is probably the best cheapest option, if allowable. They could probably do a chemical strip on the paint first to improve adhesion without worrying about how it looks.

Honestly might be a better option just to replace the brick, assuming it is a typical veneer and not structural. You know what you are getting with this route, and can even pick what you want.

[CTR0022]

Thanks for all the info. Still gathering info, but it looks like the HOA approved lime washing, and the owners just decided to paint it..... so I guess an option is to remove paint and then lime wash over to cover up any damage caused from removing the paint.

The house was built in early 2000s and per Google Street images the brick looks in good shape, and based on the year built shouldn't have to many issues as long as significant damage isn't caused by removing the paint.

Pretty much the entire house is brick, so yes it will be a significant job and money to replace. The house already has other problems that will need to be fixed.

We don't mind the problems if we can get the house at a price that reflects the problems that will need to be corrected.

[Mike Fangman]

Originally Posted by PondPopper

I would not even attempt that project.. It will be a major PITA at best and it will only get worse from there..
That sounds like a fun HOA.. I'd find another house.

Agree ^

[bbqfan5909]

Parents painted their brick 20 something years ago, still holding up great. It's becoming popular to paint brick white with black trim.

[scarecrow]

I’m wondering if using baking soda in a sandblaster would work? Companies do it inside of chemical plants all the time to remove paint. BUT nothing you do is going to be cheap. Good luck with that.

[JhuntsAlot]

You could try a propane torch. Maybe heat it up until it bubbles and then pressure wash it off.?.?

Have not tried this, just thinking in key strokes.



J

[hog_down]

I think I had a thread on here a while back about me trying to remove paint from an interior fireplace. I tried chemicals, and the best thing that worked for me was a wire wheel on a grinder. Keep in mind, I was and still am living in the house. Literally dust of every kind everywhere, cleanup was a pain.

[Briar Friar]

Most painted brick houses seem to be done so to cover up the cracks from settling and poor tuck pointing. Prepare for a leveling bid. Then prepare for a plumbing bid for cracked sewer lines and broken yard line. Then prepare for a tuck pointing bid. Then prepare for a drywall bid. Then a painting bid. Etc.

Power spraying will work just fine. It wont be perfectly clean. God, Texas heat and Texas sun will finish off the small stuff over time.

Rubbing Alcohol will dissolve water based paints. Im not sure how to scale that up for your application.

Id walk the deal if there wasnt a mnimum 60k margin.

Good luck MrCTR

[Traildust]

Pear burner!

[tpack]

I’d move on.

[Dale Moser]

Originally Posted by Briar Friar

Most painted brick houses seem to be done so to cover up the cracks from settling and poor tuck pointing. Prepare for a leveling bid. Then prepare for a plumbing bid for cracked sewer lines and broken yard line. Then prepare for a tuck pointing bid. Then prepare for a drywall bid. Then a painting bid. Etc.

Power spraying will work just fine. It wont be perfectly clean. God, Texas heat and Texas sun will finish off the small stuff over time.

All false


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JFFB]

Originally Posted by Briar Friar

Most painted brick houses seem to be done so to cover up the cracks from settling and poor tuck pointing. Prepare for a leveling bid. Then prepare for a plumbing bid for cracked sewer lines and broken yard line. Then prepare for a tuck pointing bid. Then prepare for a drywall bid. Then a painting bid. Etc.

Power spraying will work just fine. It wont be perfectly clean. God, Texas heat and Texas sun will finish off the small stuff over time.

Rubbing Alcohol will dissolve water based paints. Im not sure how to scale that up for your application.

Id walk the deal if there wasnt a mnimum 60k margin.

Good luck MrCTR

Where did you dream this up. Sorry Sir paint is not going to cover up every thing you posted. OMG. That's why they have inspections on a house before it's sold.

[Hollywood]

Pear Burner followed by a 4000 PSI pressure washer, may have a few spots to hit twice.
Probably will want to reseal with the correct masonry sealer. Masonry has to breathe, never paint brick.

[bpa556]

Originally Posted by Briar Friar

Most painted brick houses seem to be done so to cover up the cracks from settling and poor tuck pointing. Prepare for a leveling bid. Then prepare for a plumbing bid for cracked sewer lines and broken yard line. Then prepare for a tuck pointing bid. Then prepare for a drywall bid. Then a painting bid. Etc.
Good luck MrCTR

This is not accurate


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by Hollywood

Pear Burner followed by a 4000 PSI pressure washer, may have a few spots to hit twice.
Probably will want to reseal with the correct masonry sealer. Masonry has to breathe, never paint brick.

Lots of home improvement shows paint brick all the time.

[Rubberdown]

Dry ice blasting will remove it with no damage to other things. Not the cheapest route but a very good option.

[Snowflake Killa]

Dozer

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

[PondPopper]

Originally Posted by Snowflake Killa

Dozer

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

LMAO!!!
After I spent 200 hours on just one wall, on the short side that is, l could easily see this happening...

[Bill]

If you can’t get the HOA to agree to painting it a color your wife likes- find another house. There’s better things to spend your tine and money doing than satisfying some HOA telling you what your house, that you paid for will look like.

My 2 cents.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kong]

I’d recommend Tannerite with 25 gallons of diesel, no house on planet earth is worth that much trouble and I’d suggest tossing the HOA president inside prior to ignition to save the next guy the trouble.