Removing masonry paint

[Pford75]

Three elevations of our house have been coated in masonry paint at some point in the past. It is peeling in parts (although steadfastly stuck in others) and appears to have been painted over the top of the limewash underneath (the limewash is mentioned in the listing detail).

We are not experiencing any damp within the building and were planning to postpone this job until later. However, it is starting to look pretty shabby in places and we certainly won't be re-painting. We're considering stripping the paint (and then limewashing) and have ordered some samples of NB-410 and NB-610 from strippers which we are advised should do the job. Some questions though:

1. Is this feasible to tackle ourselves? (It is a large expanse of brickwork and I have a full time job)
2. If tackling it ourselves, does anyone have experience of hot pressure washers or steam cleaners (which I am told are preferable to wire brushes)
3. If not us, does anyone know of contractors in EA who specialise in this sort of thing?

 

[Moo]

Oh, that brings back memories!
When we explored the possibility of removing plastic paint from our house-before-last (in S.Norfolk) using a poultice system, we had a firm that I'm sure must have been Strippers of Sudbury come along and do a couple of test patches to see which product worked best. Sure enough, one worked brilliantly - the original soft red bricks looked as good as new.
Unfortunately we couldn't afford the cost of having it done, and as we both suffer from acute fear of heights** there was no question of us doing it ourselves.

Strippers of S. aren't that far away from you, are they? Why not ask them about local contractors?

** - and real stupidity - I realise now that we could have managed it if we'd hired scaffolding and done one wall at a time

 

[jocelyn plummer]

mmmm, a while ago I posted similar comments about our back wall. After managing to track down my favourite local builder ( took me a year to find him) we recently had a chat with him and his prescription was much the same, strip properly ( expensive) or just deal with small sections. In your case you'll probably be better to do the whole lot, your house is really lovely, and I think you'll regret not doing it. We are just having the brickwork above our window rebuilt and the blown paint chipped away and bricks replaced where necessary. The paint is gradually coming away of its own accord, and as we are not listed I would prefer to concentrate on other areas.

 

[Pford75]

AIUI Strippers will conduct a 'test' but they do not get involved in the wholesale stripping themselves any more.

Has anyone got/tried a hot water pressure washer?

 

[vicky whitworth]

I tried a hot water pressure jet thingy to try to get the masonry paint off our rubble stone (masonry paint over limewash like yours). I had a go just using the washer and then applying some stuff Strippers sent me as a test pot and blasting that off with the washer. I hated it. The water went everywhere (mostly over me) and along with bits of flaked paint and general dirt. But most of the paint stayed on the wall. I have to admit that I hated it so much (I also felt that it was just washing gunk into the watercourses) that I have left it and done nothing for another year. In the meantime the masonry paint has flaked and failed a bit more. I reckon about 200 years should see it all off!!!

 

[Pford75]

Thanks Vicky - very helpful.

This is at the centre of my dilemma - I begrudge spending 000's on a contractor for something which I should be able to do myself. But at the same time, I worry that the scale of the task is huge and the end results will not be as good as a contractor would acheive...ho hum

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Could you try one wall - and see a) how long it takes and b) what kind of a finish you can achieve ?

That way you'll have at least one wall done and a better idea about the rest.

I should charge for this kind of complicated advice! 8)

 

[Pford75]

Could you try one wall - and see a) how long it takes and b) what kind of a finish you can achieve ?

The challenge with this suggestion is that even for one wall, scaffolding will be required. The cost of scaffolding the whole building in one go is a lot cheaper than doing walls separately. Furthermore, if I am to attempt this myself, Strippers advised me to invest in a hot water/steam pressure washer (which look as though they cost anywhere upwards of £1500). Don't really want to waste 000's on one wall...only to find that I need to employ a contractor to come and redo my failed attempt

 

[JoceAndChris]

You know my experience of masonry paint stripping is zilch, but, from one who has wasted months with Nitromors on wood, my humble opinion is that you should get it done professionally. You're talking about the single most noticeable thing in the appearance of your beautiful house. And, I know you work full time, and life is short. And, paint stripping is a vile and horrible job, even on the ground, never mind up scaffolding.

If it's all too much for this year, save it over - it doesn't matter if the house looks a bit shabby this summer does it?

It will cost thousands, but it will be worth it to have a beautifully lime washed house. What colour will you go for?

 

[Pford75]

Far be it from me to comment on colours (Mrs F reigns supreme in that kingdom). The limewash under the masonry paint was pink and it looks like there was a coat of something I can only describe as 'dirty cream'.

I might be tempted to try a small patch (without pressure washer), just to gauge how long it should take a contractor and I don't get taken for a ride if we do decide to get quotes.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Pford - knowing Joce will shortly be looking for a means to service the loan on her new equestrian empire, have you thought of employing her to strip* for you?

*your walls :roll:

Talking of lovely houses - has anyone heard from Jon Maine recently? He hasn't been here since before Christmas I think. I hope all is well and he is just too busy picking up awards to post here....?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Good Lord - so stripping ventures should involve me these days, plus I'd be the most irritating workman you ever met as I need to nip to the laptop every hour to check what's going on, I'm scared of heights and I won't wear sensible workwear. And I need things like strawberries and petits filous and chocolates and freshly ground coffee every half hour too.

As for Jon Maine, come back Jon Maine! He's on Facebook...

The limewash under the masonry paint was pink and it looks like there was a coat of something I can only describe as 'dirty cream'.

Tell Mrs F that I've just decided on Ochre walls with Pomona windows (Womersley's), and I'm highly interested to know what she will choose.

I might be tempted to try a small patch (without pressure washer), just to gauge how long it should take a contractor and I don't get taken for a ride if we do decide to get quotes

Good idea- surely someone here can talk about how long it took to strip a room?

 

[Pford75]

Just had a go this evening with the sample pot from Strippers. (It really is noxious stuff...I could feel my nostrils burning). It has done a surprisingly good job on the brickwork (even with just a cold pressure washer that is about 10 years old) and started me thinking that I could tackle this myself (perhaps 1 elevation at a time)

Couple of questions though:-

1/ There is limewash under the masonry paint which obviously doesn't get removed by the stripper. It is flaking off in some places, but in others it is stuck fast. Is it necessary to remove the old limewash before re-washing? If so, how? In an ideal world I'd like to leave the limewash and just remove the masonry paint before giving it another coat.

2/ One wing is clay lump. It appear to have a very thin, failing coat of lime render, which has then been painted over with masonry paint. Obviously, removing the paint would also result in large pieces of render coming off. Given that this is washed off with a pressure washer, i'm worried about damaging the substrate. Any thoughts? I can't see how to remove paint (which in some places has just been 'trowelled' on to clay lump) without losing some of the clay.

It's amazing what a difference a day of warm weather makes...having used the test bottle, I whipped up some mortar with my putty and pootled around the grounds making repairs to the walled garden.

 

[yamin]

How long would doing the job yourself take you? I'm inclined to agree that a professional may be the best way to go. As has been mentioned., its a huge element of your house and you want it to look as goo as you can, but also you say you resent paying money for something you can do yourself, but surely paying someone to do it in a few weeks is better than a whole summer of time off sacrificed to doing the job yourself? I couldn't contemplate a job like that if I was working full time.

 

[Pford75]

Any thoughts on the 2 questions above? :roll:

Strippers have suggested trying a wallpaper steamer on the clay lump extension first, before using any stripper. They think this might left the paint enough to be able to peel it off without any stripper or pressure washer.

Not sure whether I need to remove the limewash though

 

[Schoolmarm]

1. No, once down to firmly stuck stuff it is the same as putting a new coat on every year or however often they did it.


2. Don't know :lol: can this be carefully picked off instead of strippers then powerwash?

 

[Feltwell]

Good Lord - so stripping ventures should involve me these days

Well they have in the past now, haven't they? :lol:

Come on, someone had to post that!

Pford, if you're determined to do it yourself, rather than having scaffolding why not buy yourself a scaffold tower, if the access is OK? They're not that expensive and would be easy to sell on when you're done, there always seems to be a demand for second-hand ones.

 

[DaveBrigg]

I bought a tower from here http://www.potteriestowers.co.uk/ It's steel, so a little heavier than the hire ones, but at about £170 it has paid for itself several tmes already.

 

[Pford75]

Thanks Dave - these seem really, really cheap compared to the aluminium towers. How easy do you find it to assemble/use?

Anyone else here purchased their own tower?

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I hired one a few years ago to paint gables and a chimbly. Seem to remember it was dirt cheap for a long weekend.

Certainly sturdy and you get very fit climbing up and down inside it. A bit of a pain to move (although wheels make this much easier) which is where full scaffolding is better - but the cost differential makes this a viable alternative.

There's quite a few on eBay, but lookis like you'd pay a minimum of 200 quid:

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A2471&_nkw=scaffold+tower&_dmpt=UK_H_G_Ladders_RL&_sop=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14