How to Remove Paint From the Exterior of a Brick House

Many brick homes have been painted over the years as a means to decorate and change the colors of the face of the brick, or even accidentally painted from paint being spilled or splashed onto surrounding bricks. If you are planning on removing paint from your home's exterior brick facade, then you should know about the tools and techniques available for a clean and successful job completion.

Things You'll Need

• Lead test kit
• Plastic tarp
• Eye goggles
• Pressure washer

Instructions

1. Check the paint on the face of your brick for lead contaminate. If you are not sure about the age of your paint, then you should always test the paint for lead. Lead can cause a myriad of health problems, with the most serious being lead poisoning. The lead test kits can be purchased, relatively cheap, from your local paint or hardware store. You will simply remove a small flake of paint from the brick, and add it to a chemical compound within the test kit. If there is lead present, then you should consult a professional before you proceed.

2. Cover the ground below the brick walls of your home with a plastic tarp. Regardless of whether your home has lead in its paint or not, you will want to capture any paint chips and debris onto a tarp. This will make cleanup easier, as well as provide an extra amount of precaution. Failure to tarp the ground will result in paint chips littered in your landscaping and grass.

3. Rent or purchase a 1500 psi or greater pressure washer. If you don't already have a pressure washer, you can rent one from your local tool-rental store. Pay attention to the color coded tips: red, green, yellow, white and black. The red is most powerful and should be avoided when cleaning brick, and the black is least powerful but should not be used because of its lack of cleaning power; use the yellow or green tips for a more effective cleaning application.

4. Hold the tip of the pressure washing wand 8 to 10 inches away from the wall. Work in even motions across the wall from left to right. Try not to hold the water pressure in one spot for long; this will damage the brick. Pay special attention to the deep pours of the brick, and make sure all paint is removed. Try to keep the water pressure off of any wood trim around windows or overhangs.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear safety goggles when using the pressure washer.

References

• "Building With Masonry;" Dick Kreh; 1998.
• "Popular Mechanics 500 Simple Home Repair Solutions;" Norman Becker; 2004.