Unpainting Brick, Block and Stone (Paint Removal from Masonry)

(Brick, Block, Stone, Tuckpointing + Paint)

Did you know any masonry surface can be painted, whether it be brick, stone, block, mortar, cement, concrete, etc? Paint can also be removed from these surfaces.

I don’t recommend painting your brick or stone, as it detracts the beauty and realism of the material, and if done improperly it can ruin the brick or stone tuckpointing. However, should you decide it is what you want, there is a right way to do it.

Painting your masonry surface:

Cleaning: Primers and paints should not be applied to dirty masonry surfaces. The areas should be power washed and/or scrubbed with proper cleaning solutions. Then allowed to fully dry.
Filling in the holes: Areas may need to be tuckpointed and/or caulked as needed. Missing or damaged brick, block or stone should be replaced.
The Paint: The most important thing to consider before painting any masonry surface is quality and type of paint. Masonry materials are “breathable” materials. They absorb and release water and air. We only use high quality primers and paints designed for masonry surfaces, that we know will last. Paint not designed for masonry surfaces will “suffocate” the brick, trapping in air and moisture and through freeze thaw cycles will cause rapid deterioration of the masonry materials.
Application: We apply the paint with the correct brushes and/or rollers designed for your material.
Cleanup: When we leave a painted project, other than the new color, there will be no sign we were there. This includes being neat, covering areas as needed and properly cleaning at project completion.

Removing paint from your masonry surface:

This is a dangerous job and I strongly recommend hiring professionals, like us, for the service. Effective Paint removal is accomplished with a variety of chemicals that are caustic and or toxic, meaning these chemicals can cause brain damage, burn, corrode or deteriorate organic material, It will eat through your skin.

We are trained professionals and use proper safety equipment and practices. We use Sure Klean products manufactured by ProSoCo.

Restoring painted Brick:

An assessment will need to be made of how much, if any paint will need to be removed from the existing surface. Then we will address the rest of the project as mentioned above in “Painting your masonry surface.”

Need more information? Give us a call or visit the contact page. We’re here to help.

by Jacob Thompson