How to renovate an old painted stone fireplace

[Dianne]

Hi, hoping someone can point me in the right direction with this.

We have an original stone fireplace in a bedroom which has been painted. The paint is all cracked so we need to get the old paint off and then repaint.

The cast iron insert is also quite rusty so we'll need to tackle that as well.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Dianne

 

[MikeG]

There's stone and stone, Dianne. Paint is going to come of granite rather differently from the way it comes off sandstone. Having said that, you're going to start with a scraper, no matter what the stone.

 

[Feltwell]

I'd speak to Strippers of Sudbury as a first step before trying scraping:-

https://www.stripperspaintremovers.com/

They certainly used to do trial packs so you can find out what works.

Start gently though - a corner on the side I'd suggest. As Mike says, what stone it is will have a big bearing on how well it comes off.

 

[88v8]

The rust can be tackled with Jenolite - car accessory shop or hardware store - and wire wool.
Rubber gloves.
Keep it off the stone.

You may do better to remove the insert, but if the surround is large and well bedded, that could be easier said than done. Don't want to smash the whole thing.

If you plan to paint the insert, POR15 is a good base for painting over previously rusted metal.
https://www.frost.co.uk/brands/por15.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItsao9aeT2AIVBijTCh23PwdJEAAYASAAEgJ_z_D_BwE
Do not strip it and leave it. Even in a day, corrosion begins anew.
POR15 can be overpainted when cured.

Ivor