Removing paint from bricks reveals the hidden beauty of a brick wall.
Some homeowners paint interior brick walls to update the room or to add a decorative touch to the brick. Over time, paint peels, colors fade and styles change making a decorator want to remove the paint and expose the brick. An interior brick wall adds interest and visual appeal to the room. Removing paint from brick is a messy project that requires patience to avoid damaging the bricks or mortar.
Instructions
1. Move all furniture and furnishings away from the painted brick wall. Lay tarps over the room contents to protect them from masonry paint-stripper splashes.
2. Set up fans and open all windows in the house. Wear acid-resistant gloves, acid-resistant goggles and acid-approved respirator.
3. Lay heavy, plastic tarps over the floor. Tape the edges of the tarps with duct tape to the base of wall as near to the floor as possible.
4. Scrape or brush loose, peeling or flaking paint off the brick with a paint scraper or wire brush.
5. Open a container of masonry paint-stripper and stir it well with a stir stick to blend the paint stripper.
6. Set up a stepladder to access the upper area of the wall.
7. Submerge a wide paintbrush into the masonry paint-stripper. Spread a thick coating of the paint stripper to the painted brick surface, beginning at the top of the wall. Continue to coat the painted brick wall with masonry paint-stripper until the stripper coats the entire brick wall. Leave the masonry paint-stripper on the brick until the paint bubbles and lifts away from the brick. Depending on the number of paint layers, bubbling and lifting takes anywhere from one to four hours.
8. Scrape the wall with a wide metal putty knife to remove the layers of paint. Wipe the metal putty knife on the side of a metal waste-can allowing the old paint to fall into the waste can. Continue to scrape the paint from the brick surface until your scrape the as much of the lifted paint as possible from the brick.
9. Apply a second layer of masonry paint-stripper to areas of stubborn or overly thick paint with a wide paintbrush. Wait for the remaining paint to bubble and lift away from the brick surface. Scrape away the remaining paint.
10. Pour warm water and 1/4 cup dish soap or laundry detergent into a bucket. Twist a threaded scrub brush onto a mop or broom handle. Submerge the scrub brush in the cleaning water. Scrub all surfaces of the brick wall to remove masonry paint-stripper residue.
11. Empty the soapy water from the bucket. Rinse the bucket and scrub brush with plain water.
12. Add water to a bucket. Dip the scrub brush into the clear water and scrub the wall to remove the laundry detergent residue.
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