Help with Peel Away (white paint on red brick)

[Joe Smith]

Hello,

I need some help/feedback with Peel Away for removing white paint on red brick.

I moved into this house 2 years ago and I have no idea how many coats of white paint sit on top of the red brick. I have attempted to use Peel Away as follows:

1. Peel Away 6 -- initial try; a couple of different sections
2. Peel Away 1 -- new sections
3. Peel Away 4 -- new sections
4. Peel Away 1 -- on top of previous attempt

I varied the trials from as little as 4 hours to as much as 100 hours. All of the results were basically the same.

Meanwhile, a painter that we interviewed came over and used a pressure washer on a small section of the brick. He was successful in removing the white paint, but destroyed the brick. I was not home when he came over, so I wasn't able to prevent him from doing this. But that's another story.

Thoughts/Comments/Suggestions?

TIA...Joe

[Art]

Check

to see if there are anysuggestions there but basically I think you are asking the impossible.

[m Ransley]

Saying he ruined the brick is probably not so. Your brick was most likley painted because it Was bad to begin with - spalling. Nobody paints good brick as further stripping will show. Plus the paint has been holding in moisture, and the brick together. Moisture frozen ruins brick when sealed in . Powerwashing doesnt ruin good sound brick. Rethink your blame and your stripping. Detrich Chemicals out of Wisconsin has your chemicals . All they sell are brick stripping and stone, brick cleaning products. Sherwin Williams carries them. But it is Pro stuff, dangerous to work with. Forget Peel away. Detrich is used on the best Architectural and Large skyscrapers all over. In Chicago the Wrigly Building on Michigan Ave is done every year with Detrich, It is White as new and lit up completely. Brick stripping and cleaning is expensive. Get a pro , test an area before you do the whole job. It will kill plants and your soil may have to be neutralised. Workers wear full body and face protection. Plus you will likely need a tuckpoint job and a second acid wash. You could be opening up a real mess for yourself. Test an area, get a Pro out.

[Art]

In some areas of the country people actually like painted brick. I see about one new house go up a year in my area of NC. Don't know what the point is. You gave excellent detailed info but the bottome line is pretty much what I said.... he is asking the impossible. Also powerwashing can ruin good brick if the washer is powerful enuf and held too close to brick. The surface can be pitted. I guess it isn't ruined but the texture is definitely changed.

[Joe Smith]

Thanks for the replies so far. Here are a couple of follow points:

- I don't know when the white paint was put on and how many coats, though it does seem like quite a few

- I (we) don't really care for the white paint

- By "ruining the brick" I meant that the contractor that did the free sample pressure washing of a small area probably had the head to close to the brick and we ended up with chips and dents in the brick; I'm contrasting this to the relatively smooth surface on the brick in the areas where I have tested Peel Away

- All of my Peel Away attempts have been tests meaning that the $50 (or so) that I've spent so far has been just to see if it works

- Ultimately we are trying to figure out what the brick looks like in regards to the rest of the exterior; we are debating whether to paint the existing shingles or put up siding, but we first wanted to see what the brick looks like; related to that, we just took out all of the shrubs in front of the house where the brick is and we now have a better picture; the brick is only about 5-10% of the total area of the exterior and only in the front

- The suggestions regarding a different/professional solution may actually push us in another direction --> we are also debating whether or not to cover the brick with some kind of (fake) stone; this solves the Peel Away problem and future painting issues of the brick

Joe

[xrongor]

sounds like it might be time for some brick-like siding..

randy

[Art]

I would not cover the brick. I would take it down if you don't want it. Lots of brick is put up with insufficinet drain systems or ties. If you leave it up there and cover it you are looking for trouble. Take it down.