# How can I remove masonry paint.



## Derek Willis. (29 Jul 2009)

A neighbour in her Alzhiemer's state, painted portions of the brickwork adjacent to rendered panels, I have tried to remove it with a pressure washer to no avail, what do you suggest.
Derek.


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## Doug B (29 Jul 2009)

Sand blasting, Derek.

You could probably hire a small unit & compressor.


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## Derek Willis. (29 Jul 2009)

Doug,
Yeah thought of that, problem is I would have to do the whole of the expanse of B/work or it would stick out like a sore thumb, done a fair bit of sand blasting in the past.
derek.


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## RogerS (29 Jul 2009)

Guess it depends on the type of paint. Oil based? Also the area involved...thinks chemical strippers. You could try one dodge which is to mix up sodium hydroxide and wallpaper paste..that gives you a nice gloopy mix that will stick to the paint long enough for it to do its' stuff.

Contact Farrow & Ball techincal? Or dulux technical?


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## chippy1970 (29 Jul 2009)

When I moved into my house the guy before had painted the brickwork around the window frames "silly person" I tried sand blasting no good then found a sort of scouring pad that goes on an angle grinder. They work well on small areas and dont damage the brickwork.


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## Derek Willis. (30 Jul 2009)

Ah!hA!, Chippy, I think I have one of those I'll have alook.
derek.


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## Derek Willis. (31 Jul 2009)

Got a reply from Dulux yesterday,

Dulux Trade Hydrostrip 1003, that is the stuff to use apparantly, cleans off anything, has to be sprayed on and left, then peel off.
Derek.


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## chipchaser (3 Aug 2009)

Hi Derek, 

I found ordinary all purpose paint stripper, the one with dichloromethane in it, worked on masonry paint applied some years ago and hence set hard. It needed a few applications and some gentle wire brushing to get it out of the "grain" of the brick Once softened and wire brushed it washed off with water quite easily. 

Wilko Decorator All-Purpose Paint & Varnish Stripper is cheaper than Nitromors and as far as I know the same stuff. It worked just as well on an area of painted brick and stone (window cills) which I wanted to expose. 

Not good on the skin (burns!) so gloves and eye protection advised and dissolves plastics. 

I thought Hydrostrip might be an eco friendly product but it is not. 

There are some eco friendly paint removers but I havent tried them myself. 

I wouldn't use sandblasting myself due to risk of removing the face of the brick. 

Hope this helps 

Graham


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## RogerS (3 Aug 2009)

Nitromors has been withdrawn from sale....EEC..carcinogenic ingredients IIRC


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## Derek Willis. (3 Aug 2009)

Roger .
that's a pity!
derek.


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## Grinding One (3 Aug 2009)

What kind of Presser washer do you have??Mine when turned up peels the cream out of cement,I also made the mistake of using it to get the dirt off of my trucks inter fender wells,peeled the paint off of the metal before I realized I had it turned up to much ...


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## chipchaser (4 Aug 2009)

Hi Roger, I haven't heard that Nitromors has been banned. As of Friday 19th June Wilko were selling it in their Kettering store but being cheap I bought their own equivalent which worked just as well on the job I described. 

Looking on line today, Wilko's web site offers 
Nitromors All Purpose Paint & Varnish Remover 1l for £6.79 or Wilko Decorator All-Purpose Paint & Varnish Stripper 1l for £3.99. 
Also generally available is Rustins Strypit. All contain dicloromethane. 

It is not the nicest chemical but no worse than caustic soda used in other paint strippers to break down the paint. Once the solvent has evaporated no harmful residue is left whereas caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) should be neutralised with a weak acid if it is to be overpainted. 

A COSHH sheet (for the Rustins version but all of this class are similar) can be found here: 

http://www.rustins.eu/healthSafety/Strypit.pdf 

Info on Caustic Soda here: 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hydroxide


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## Derek Willis. (4 Aug 2009)

Roger, just been out and bought some Nitromors, the shelf was loaded with it and there are promotional leaflets all around, I have applied some to the wall in a couple of places and will try removing some later on today.
derek.


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## Derek Willis. (4 Aug 2009)

I thought you'd like to know, Nitromors works very well. coated the part wall to try, left for a bit and pressure washed it off, came clean.
derek.


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## Jake (4 Aug 2009)

The ban on products already on the market won't come into force for a couple of years yet.


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## chipchaser (6 Aug 2009)

Thanks Roger and Jake for heads up on "Nitromors" paint strippers ban. I had to search hard to find when the new rules will be applied. The following is a quote from a press release found on the web: 

"EU rules banning paint strippers containing dichloromethane (DCM) for consumer use will enter force on Saturday 6 June 2009 following publication in the EU’s official Journal. 
Under the rules, products intended to be put on the market for the first time will be banned from 6 December 2010. *The ban will apply to all products from 6 December 2011* and applies to paint strippers containing DCM concentrations equal or greater than 0,1% by weight. 
*Professional uses will be banned from 6 June 2012* but member states can apply for derogations for licensed professionals who will be allowed to use DCM in strippers under strict conditions. The EU Commission will publish a list of countries that have applied for derogations." 

I don't use a great deal of paint stripper but imho Dichloromethane (Methylene Chloride) is useful when you need it. How many of us will stockpile enough to keep themselves supplied :? 

According to the EU Commission, between 1989 and 2007, 18 fatalities (9 for industrial use, 8 for professional use, 1 for consumer use) and 56 non-fatal injuries have been registered in the EU. That doesn't seem to me like a strong argument for banning consumer use. 

It appears that the other organic solvent based strippers are as dangerous as Dichloromethane and I wouldn't choose to use Caustic Soda based stripper (dangerous and raises the grain on wood). 

Has anyone tried "Home Strip Paint & Varnish Remover"-Dibasic Ester based paint stripper? It is claimed to be totally safe to user and the environment. I think it is water based so grain raising may be a problem too. US Government say: "Much less is known about the possible health effects of these chemicals than about most of the other paint stripping chemicals" and advise caution (CPSC Document #423).

:idea: Perhaps a woodworking magazine might make a comparative test of whats available before the ban comes into force?

Regards

Graham


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