Here at Right Wash we offer a range of services to help restore your property to its former glory, and one great way of doing that is with our brick paint removal services.
So often the original beauty of the exterior brickwork is covered with masonry paint that might look good at the time, but can quickly become tired and worn. Old paint is not a good look on brickwork, so paint removal is often a good idea.
But just how do you remove all the paint from your brickwork? And what will be revealed when you remove paint from brick? Well, we do a fantastic job here at Right Wash, at brick paint removal, and we often find that our customers are delighted with the brick surfaces that are revealed when the masonry paint is removed.
If you think your property could benefit from brick paint removal to show off the original brick wall beneath, then read on below as we talk you through everything you need to know about the process, and how we can help.
Restoring the original look of your property can have a number of benefits. But perhaps the most important is how it makes you feel. With the brick wall back to its original condition, you'll feel proud of the way the old brick beneath looks. By removing unnecessary masonry paint, especially old, tired, or dirty paint, you allow the brick wall to not only breathe naturally again, but look as it was supposed to.
Masonry paint isn't the devil - we're not saying that. Some properties do suit tasteful paint, and if you're happy with the look of your property then that's great.
A lot of our customer satisfaction feedback though talks about how they were unhappy with the masonry paint applied by previous owners when they bought their new house, and so by using a professional company like us here at Right Wash, we were able to give them a property they could be proud of thanks to our paint removal and cleaning solutions.
Some other reasons why our customers choose to remove paint to reveal the underlying brick wall are:
Not a lot of people know how to carry out paint removal from brick surfaces, and many people think that taking care of it themselves is a good idea (HINT: it rarely is a good idea). To illustrate why trusting a business like ours is usually a better idea, let us talk you through some common questions and suggestions we see from the DIY paint removal community.
Using a pressure washer is not a good idea when you try to remove paint from brick walls, because not only is masonry paint designed to withstand harsh weather, so it would take a lot of work to actually see results, but it can also leave the brick surface beneath the paint in a poor condition.
The amount of pressure needed during a pressure wash to remove paint would almost certainly damage the brick beneath. Depending on how many layers of pain there were too, this method might not even work to begin with.
Removing paint from brick should be about minimal fuss, right? So when we see people suggesting the use of caustic chemicals, it immediately makes us sit up and pay attention. Deliberately causing a chemical reaction with the paint is a terrible idea.
Why?
Because caustic chemicals will damage the brick work beneath the paint, just like pressure washing will. The main problem with using chemicals on a brick surface, though, is that bricks are porous, meaning any products that are put on them will be almost absorbed by the brick itself. With products as strong as caustic chemicals, this can cause a real problem as it can damage the integrity of the bricks, causing potential structural issues with your home.
So, no, using chemicals isn't a good idea either.
Using paint stripper to remove paint from brick isn't necessarily a bad idea. With the right paint stripper, you can remove multiple layers of paint beneath the top coat too, so it is quite effective. However, masonry paint is some of the hardest paint to deal with when carrying out paint removal, so you will need to gather a few things and work really hard if you insist upon trying this method yourself...
The right paint remover in this case will depend on the specific masonry paint that's been used - is it an acrylic or lead paint, how durable is it - these are all questions you will need to ask yourself before picking out an appropriate paint stripper.
Since this will be a DIY paint removal, we won't be able to tell you exactly which paint stripper to pick out because we don't know which type of masonry paint is covering your brick wall. Below, we'll talk briefly about how to start removing paint from your brick wall to improve the look of your property.
However, we can't stress enough the amount of work involved in brick paint removal when you're doing it yourself. Hiring a company like ours will definitely save you a lot of time.
To get started, though, here's what you need. Remember, we're removing paint from a brick wall outside your property, so you need to approach this in a thoughtful way. That means testing any products you're going to use on a test area, making sure it is a small area. By testing on a small area or an inconspicuous part of the wall, you will be covering yourself in case the paint removal doesn't go as planned.
Here's a helpful list to get you started with the things you will need for this DIY job:
The first step to removing paint from a brick wall (after you have tested your products on a small area and confirmed that it is working as you would like) is setting up your workspace and yourself to remove paint. Removing paint is hard work and can get messy, so be prepared.
Make sure the thick plastic sheeting or drop cloths are down and you've firmly attached it to the bottom edge of the wall so no dust or paint flakes escape. Ensure painter's tape is being used to protect any window sills or wood trims and other surfaces you don't want to get covered, and, finally, make sure you're wearing all the protective gear you need to get started - gloves, old clothes, overalls, and a face mask as a minimum.
Next up, you will need to apply the stripping agent all over the wall, including in any crevices and the mortar. The stripping agent is the first product that will need to be applied when you remove paint from brick, because it will help break down the old paint and get it ready for removal.
Most paint strippers will need to be applied in multiple layers. Keep working to the manufacturer's instructions so you can be certain that the paint stripper is doing its job of loosening the old paint.
Your stripping agent won't do all the work for you, though, so there are a few extra things you will need to do.
After the paint stripper has been applied, you will then need to attach the peeling strips to help remove the paint. Make sure no brick remains visible when you apply the strips, overlapping them as necessary.
It's important that no part of the underlying brick can be seen or else you won't get a clean removal when you try to remove paint by pulling back the peeling strips. Once a wall has been painted, it's difficult enough to get the paint back off, especially when excess paint has been used, so take your time here to ensure all the wall is covered in the peeling strips.
Leave them applied for the specified amount of time according to the manufacturers and then remove them. They should simply help with removing paint by peeling it off as you peel it away from the brick.
Once all of the strips have been peeled, the hard work really begins. There will inevitably be paint residue left behind, especially in hard to reach areas like the mortar between bricks, as you try to remove paint from brick, so now you have to start with the brick cleaning.
Use your trowel and/or heat gun to remove the obvious patches of paint first. But to do a fantastic job, you will likely need hot water and a stiff bristled brush to see the results you want.
After some time and a lot of effort, the painted wall should be back to its original state and the surface should be completely clear of paint.
Many people underestimate how much effort it takes to remove paint from your painted walls. Brickwork is complicated, and masonry paint is built to last, so if you're passionate about removing the paint yourself, then be prepared for a lot of hard work, and get ready to head to the store for very specific products and tools to get the job done properly.
Not only is there the risk of you choosing an inappropriate method when you try to remove paint from bricks yourself, such as sandblasting, pressure washing, or using chemicals/products/tools that are inappropriate for the task at hand - but there's also the amount of work involved too.
If you want a professional job done professionally, then we would always recommend contacting an experienced team like ours to deal with the paint removal for you. We offer brick paint removal at an affordable price that won't take up any of your time and efforts at all - and because we're professionals who have been doing this job for a long time, we also have a tried and true process for removing paint from brickwork in a fast and environmentally safe way.
So, how do we do it? Well, when we remove paint from your house and brickwork, we don't rely on the methods described above. Yep. There's not a paint stripper in sight - and we certainly don't use pressure washers, sandblasting, or chemicals to clean up your painted brickwork either.
No, our process is much more specialised, but super effective. What we use is a superheated water system called TORC Cleaning & DOFF Cleaning, designed to remove paint from brick and restore the exterior of your house to its original look without risk of damaging the bricks beneath. It's more than just warm water though, so let us explain how it works below.
Our heated water system is very clever. It essentially turns warm water into an effective paint removal device using a machine. The warm water is superheated so that it becomes almost steam. Using this superheated water and low pressure (to ensure the brick beneath the paint isn't damaged at all), our machines are able to literally blast away the paint - but safely. If you want more detail then checkout our blog post “what is TORC cleaning” & “what does DOFF cleaning mean”.
A heated water system like ours is delicate, and it's the professional choice of many homeowners who need their house or property to be restored in a safe manner. In fact, heated water systems for paint removal are recommended for listed buildings and places of historical significance - THAT'S how safe it is for the bricks beneath the paint.
The whole process is smooth, too. We bring all the tools we need with us to your house so that we can deliver a professional service in no time at all. Depending on the layers of paint and how durable the masonry paint is, we might only need to blast the surface once to remove the paint. Other times it may require a few attempts, but no matter how many times we have to use our heated water system on your house, the bricks beneath will remain safe.
Still worried that damage to your house might occur? Don't, because all of our heated water machines can be adjusted - for the toughest jobs the water can be heated to 150 degrees, and the pressure adjusted to suit - but if we're working with a delicate wall or surface, we can adjust the machine to heat the water less and use even less pressure than before. It's our job to ensure the bricks are looked after during the work, and as an experienced and professional team, we know how to look after your brick surfaces.
There are many reasons why a heated water system is the best method for the job, but we'll just explain some of the most important below.
First, it's completely safe. In all our time using heated water systems to remove paint from brick surfaces, we've never yet seen a problem. And that's because the water system itself is designed to be non-abrasive, non-chemical, and environmentally friendly.
Second, it's the most efficient way of getting the job done. As a professional team, we can get in and get out much quicker than people first assume. Earlier, we talked about the paint stripper method, and our main gripe with it was the sheer amount of time it takes to see results. With a heated water system, you can see results the very same day, with none of the scrubbing and elbow grease it takes to get the job done otherwise.
Finally, the amount of training required to be able to use a heated water system safely is high - and so it should be. With water being able to be heated to 150 degrees with a machine like ours, it's imperative that our team know exactly what to do and how to do it safely, not just for the brick beneath the paint, but for themselves and those around them. One of the benefits of using a heated water system, therefore, is knowing that the professional team carrying out the job is highly trained and can deliver amazing results consistently, and in a perfectly safe way.
It's difficult for us to give you the exact cost of each job when removing paint from brick walls because there isn't such a thing as an average cost here - it varies a lot based on a number of factors, such as the:
So whilst we can't say that the cost will be £X today, you can contact us for a free, no obligation quote today. A member of our team will be able to get a full, detailed description of your property and the work you would like doing, and then be able to give you a quote for the work. Please note: an inspection of your property might be necessary if there are concerns about the age or structural integrity of the brick itself. We'll let you know this based off the information you provide at the time, though. Once we've given you a quote, if you're happy, then we can book in a time and date that works for you and then come along and use our heated water system to remove the paint from your brick walls in virtually no time at all.
Much like the cost, there isn't an average time for the job to be finished in, and that's because multiple factors affect this again, such as the:
What we can tell you, though, is that you will start to see a huge difference to your brick walls in just a few hours, and depending on the size of your property and the amount of painted brick walls you would like to uncover, we might be able to finish the job in one visit.
Again, it all depends on your property and what work you would like us to carry out on the brick, but our heated water systems are easily the most effective and efficient way of removing paint from brick, so working with us is the fastest way to see results!
Hopefully, by now, we've managed to show you why working with professionals like us over a DIY job is best. Still, if you're a keen DIY enthusiast with plenty of time on your hands, you might choose to remove the paint from your brick walls yourself. And if that's the case - we wish you the best of luck.
But we know from experience that our customers usually prefer the professionals, because there's much less work involved. So now it's up to us to tell you why Right Wash are the right professionals for you...
As an experienced team of experts, we can handle the entire process for you. The initial inspection, the brick paint removal itself, and the cleanup (tackling every speck of dust and paint that falls from the wall as we work).
It's easy to trust the professionals when they've had experience across a range of properties carrying out paint removal from bricks, and we here at Right Wash have had exactly that. And now we can use our experience to help you achieve the results you want for your home.
One of the main reasons we love doing the work we do is that you can see results quickly. But more than that, you can see results for a reasonable price. Yes, we are specialists and require specialist equipment to get the job done, but that doesn't mean we're overpriced. In fact, we offer some of the most competitive prices in the brick paint removal business.
Why go to the trouble of carrying out work yourself, when you can entrust us to get the work done for you? There's absolutely zero effort involved for you when you work with Right Wash. Simply give us details about your property when you first contact us, tell us the date and time that works for you best, and Voila - your work is done. Then all that's left for you to do is sit back and wait for us to deliver amazing results.
If you're ready to start working with Right Wash, then contact us today. Once we know the details of the work you would like us to complete, we can provide you with a free no-obligation quote, and then get to work ASAP if you're satisfied.
Want a refresh for your home's brickwork? Tired of that old paint on your brickwork? Then contact us today! We can't wait to work with you to help transform your home and restore it to its former glory by exposing the beautiful brick beneath that tired paint.
No, not using our method of DOFF steam cleaning and TORC cleaning, a non-invasive way of removing brick paint that actually restores character, not just removing paint. Other methods like jet washing or high pressure cleaning will however remove more than just the paint.
Yes but it is not advised as the high pressure will likely also remove mortar, brick patina and character as well as parts or the surface of the brick so it should be avoided.
The cost to remove paint from bricks is not really answerable without knowing what type of paint, how thick the paint is and how old the paint is. Along with the square feet of bricks to be treated this ultimately determines the cost of removing paint from brickwork. We do offer free quotes so best to send us an email.
It can vary from 1-4 days. The size of the house is obviously a factor that contributes to the overall time but also the type of paint and age of the paint etc.
