Ideas for removing paint from stone wall

DougMLancs

Has anyone got any experience of the best way to remove this paint? A previous owner must’ve had a lean-to greenhouse there and put a thick layer/s of something that’s proving very stubborn to remove with a wire brush! I’d rather not go straight to something harsh that might stain/damage the stonework. All ideas greatly appreciated 

stuart45

Do you know what type of stone it is? Is a a soft stone?

mark_cycling00

I've just done a large timber beam with "peelaway 7". You can get a tester pot. It says it works on stone. Previously I bought a few b&q type products and they did nothing 

The paint came away perfectly in big long sections. The beam looks immaculate (although I never saw the state of it before previous owner painted it) you need to cover it for a day or two. You can buy their special strips or try cling film hehe 

There was quite a bit of washing off the residue. I scrubbed it off and mopped up with kitchen roll and bagged it as I don't want any chemicals going into the land. We don't have drainage here.

It's expensive so you might be looking at £300 or so for that patch 

DougMLancs

stuart45 said:

Do you know what type of stone it is? Is a a soft stone?

It’s a local sandstone

FreeBear

Jet wash will get some of it off (it looks to be flaking in places). I'd then leave it to weather for a few months and give it another blast. You might need to repoint the mortar joints afterwards - Just check to see if it is lime or cement before purchasing mortar.

Eldi_Dos

You could make a asset of it, put a frame of  timber round the edges to tidy up the appearance then use it to place pots of  cropping plants in front of. I am thinking chilli's, herbs etc.

The white wall will reflect sunlight and the wall will act as a radiator overnight, all helping plants growth without needing to put any energy input into it.

If after a couple of seasons you do not like it then it will be easier to jet wash off.

stuart45

I stripped one for a repoint with a needle gun, but It was a really hard stone. A soft one would be wrecked.
Paint can be easier to remove when brittle by gently chipping away at it, rather than using a wire brush. Soda blasting usually works, but you probably don't want too much expense on a garden wall.
The customer here did have a price of £800 for sand blasting, but it took me a day with the needle gun.

twopenny

Stuart that's lovely!

Is the mortar supposed to be deep like that or is it the next job?

My first thought was pressure washer, if it's too fierce you can stand back a bit etc.

But looking at the photo again a specimen plant and a couple of smaller ones would be quite a feature.

Or if you're artistic, you could paint a tree there and a blooming garden beneath

stuart45

twopenny said:

Stuart that's lovely!

Is the mortar supposed to be deep like that or is it the next job?

It's raked out ready to be pointed with a flush joint finished with the churn brush. With this type of stone it often looks better before it's pointed as you tend to see more of the stone. The joints can be recessed slightly to look a bit better, but it does form a ledge for moisture to sit on. As this building had some damp issues, the joints were finished flush, as you can see on a testing bit for colour on the bottom of the photo to the right of the door.

stuart45

Here's an example of another job raked out and then pointed. When first raked out the lady thought it looked really good and I'd finished. When it was pointed she didn't think it looked so good.

twopenny

Ah well you can't have it all. Pretty or practical, the two are hard to find.

Yes, I've seen recently some work where the mortar sits deep. I remember thinking 'do they know something I don't'.

We also have a technique where a the mortar sits proud but with drainage runs around. Not keen on that. Few jobs look right unless done by a professional.

Finished job looks really good and in keeping Stuart.