Cleaning paint off exterior brickwork

[JBean]

The rear of our Edwardian house is built in lovely pale yellow brick. We are currently having some of the lime mortar repaired and so prised an odd wooden frame from the back of the off-shot, to see what the mortar was like underneath.

What we found was an old, very badly-filled in doorway, with bits of breezeblock, wood and badly-cut brick, all painted black:

Oh and the plumbing for the sink on the other side of the wall, which appears to be boxed in for a while on the inside, then pop outside for a bit of fresh air before returning inside to the taps:

We'd like to remove the black paint as a first step, better to see what we are dealing with. It scrapes off with a fingernail but that's rather slow work! I tried a wire brush but the fingernail was quicker. I'd welcome advice - you think a pressure washer would do it? Obviously we are keen not to damage the surface of the decent bricks.

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[Flyfisher]

I reckon it should be illegal to paint brickwork! :evil:

Have you thought of a chemical poultice-type paint stripper? They are generally less damaging than most physical methods of removal such as scraping and blasting etc.
http://www.stripperspaintremovers.com/

 

[JBean]

Flyfisher, thanks. I am generally wary of chemicals but this does look a good solution.

Excuse the daft question - but is there some way to tell what sort of paint it may be? Choosing the right chemical stripper seems to depend on whether it's emulsion, oil-based or masonry paint.

 

[Flyfisher]

From the FAQs on their website:

Paint/Coating Analysis

If you are unsure what type of paint or coating you are trying to remove, send us a sample of the full paint layer and we will do tests on it free of charge and advise you which product(s) should be most effective for the job. Simply post a sample of your paint or coating to us along with your contact details.

 

[JBean]

Ah, should have studied it more closely myself! Many thanks.