I've got a cotswold stone window seat thats been painted with emulsion. How can I get this off (without sandblasting)? Is there a stripper I can use for this?
I don't have a definitive answer on this, but I do know that meths and acetone are both good solvents for emulsion paint.
On stone I'd also try repeated wetting with hot water, or maybe a wallpaper steamer would loosen it. Trial a small area first.
Have a look here. Click on the "I want to remove..." link.
I tried that link just now, but it wouldn't work. I'm certain that I've got it right, so they may be doing some site maintenance. Leave trying it until tomorrow perhaps.
If it still won't work, call Strippers of Sudbury, near Sudbury, Suffolk. I don't have their number I'm afraid.
If it is just emulsion and it is possible to move the seat, leave it out in the rain.
Water softens emulsion, rain is better, and prolonged soaking will result in the emulsion peeling and washing off.
What about trying a heat gun? Emulsion melts and the heat isn't high enough to effect the stone. For that matter, a light brushing with a flame should cause it to bubble up and you could then immediately brush it off with a wire brush.
Thanks for the ideas. I'll try the stripper. I've tried meths, which works to a point, but needs too much elbow grease, and I don't like the idea of a wire brush - cotswold stone is quite soft. The house is 300+ years old; using the meths has revealed indeterminate stuff under the emulsion which the meths did soften, but heating it up might be dodgy. Moving it isn't on - it's part of a wall. Stripper it is.