How To Remove Paint From Stone

CONTENTS

• How does paint affect exterior walls?
• Is it easy to remove paint?
• Do exterior paints contain lead?
• The risks of removing paint yourself
• What to do if you need to remove paint
• Get in touch

If you are thinking of redecorating your home or removing paint from your new property, you may require help from professionals before doing so. Removing paint on your own could expose you to lead or result in damage to the stone or masonry beneath it.

We are a paint removal company that can confidently and effectively remove any paint with our stone paint removal services. Our team at ICE Cleaning will use industrial-grade solutions and equipment to remove exterior paint from your property with care.

Read on to learn more about how exterior paints affect stone walls and what you can do to remove them.

How does paint affect exterior walls?

Whilst there may be many aesthetic advantages to painting your exterior wall, there are risks that could come along with it. If your wall is a porous stone, painting over it traps moisture beneath the paint and causes mould to build up beneath it.

Although waterproof paint can keep out water and general rainfall, it will crack over time, allowing moisture to grow beneath it. This could damage the stone beneath it, resulting in structural damage and putting you and your family at risk.

Is it easy to remove paint?

Removing paint from the exterior of your home is a laborious task that needs more than one individual. It is not easy to remove, and it can also be dangerous due to the tools and chemicals required.

This process requires a paint stripper, which is a dangerous solution only to be handled by professionals. Exterior paint is more difficult to remove due to the coatings in it that create a hard waterproof surface.

Doing this task involves tools and equipment that experts will have access to, especially if you are removing paint from a tall home. It is recommended that you do not do this yourself and contact a professional paint removal company.

Do exterior paints contain lead?

If your property was built before 1960, there is a possibility that lead paint was used somewhere on your property at least once.

Houses constructed from the 1960s to the 1980s may have lead paint, but the possibility is lowered. To determine if the exterior contains lead, you can buy a lead testing kit.

There may be visible signs that your home's exterior contains lead, including thick layers of paint or visible decay and peeling. There is no way to be certain without a test, and if the layers are decaying, you will require professional help.

The risks of removing paint yourself

Attempting to clean paint yourself using paint strippers or potentially interacting with lead paint puts you at risk of injuries and life-long ailments.

You must not try to do this task alone with tools you are unfamiliar with, or work at heights without supervision and safety. Using a paint stripper could cause:

• Acidic burns
• Permanent skin damage
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Asthma
• Hypersensitive pneumonitis
• Chronic organ damage
• Loss of eyesight
• Heart attacks

Removing lead paint without professional help could expose you to this dangerous metal through inhaling, touching, or ingesting it. Lead poisoning is the result of chronic exposure, which can result in permanent effects such as:

• Infertility
• Anaemia
• Blindness
• Hearing loss
• Weight loss
• Brain damage

What to do if you need to remove paint

If you plan to redecorate the outside of your home, you could paint over the previous coat, which will seal any lead beneath it. However, if the paint is decaying and requires removal, you must first test it for lead.

A professional can do this for you, but if you plan to do it yourself, you should wear protective clothing such as gloves, boots, long-sleeved clothes, eye goggles, and an EN 143 face mask.

Ensure that any pregnant individuals, children, and pets keep away from the paint to avoid the possibility of lead poisoning through inhalation or ingestion.

Regardless of whether the exterior paint contains lead, do not try to remove it by yourself. Instead, you must contact a stone paint removal company that is qualified to remove lead paint and use industrial equipment.

Get in touch

Our staff at ICE Cleaning are qualified members of IPAF, allowing them to remove various types of paint at heights. We use specialised solutions and industrial-grade equipment to conduct our paint removal services, ensuring the material beneath is undamaged.

If you want to inquire about our services, contact our support team at 0208 066 0360 or enquiries@icecleaning.co.uk. We can provide you with a free, no-obligation quote and advise you on your next steps. Our technicians are available across the UK and will be on-site at your earliest convenience.