How to Remove Paint From Stonework
- 1). Free as much paint as possible from exterior stonework using a pressure washer. Use a wide-angle tip, or you may end up damaging the mortar between each stone.
- 2). Scrape large sheets of flaking paint form the stonework using a putty knife.
- 3). Free paint particles from tight, awkward areas using a durable, abrasive wire brush.
- 4). Smooth any remaining stubborn paint particles with 80-grit sandpaper. Fold the paper to fit within the mortar between each stone if necessary.
- 5). Wear a protective respirator if you're working on interior stonework. Open windows and doors.
- 6). Brush paint stripping solvent onto no more than a 2-by-2-foot portion of the stonework. Wait three minutes before scraping the loosened paint from the surface using a wire brush and 80-grit sandpaper.
- 7). Wash off any liquefied paint residue, using steel wool dampened with stripping solvent. Continue until the stonework is free from paint. Wait an hour for the solvent to evaporate from the stones.