I just moved into a new condo and am getting ready to redecorate some. The condo is in a building that used to be an industrial warehouse that was converted to residential housing a few years ago. One of the main interior walls is brick that the previous owner painted over. I would prefer to have the natural brick as I like the look. What would be the easiest way for me to remove the paint from the brick to give me back the natural brick look? Keep in mind this is an interior wall so I need something that isn't going to make a gigantic mess.

 

Welcome to the forums

The 2 most common ways to remove paint from brick is sandblasting or paint remover and pressure washing, neither of which would be a good idea in a finished space. You may be able to use paint remover alone but it may not be totally effective. With the use of drops and plastic the mess should be able to be contained but it isn't a job I would look forward to.

 

What about the various products from "Peel Away"? I've heard their products mentioned when concerning paint removal from brick. Anyone have any experience with them? FYI their website is www.peelaway.com

 

Peel away would be a good start but I have my doubts as to whether or not it would be completetly effective. I seldom do any stripping, hopefully someone with more experience will post.

 

try a heat gun and a scraper/ tough putty knife to get rid of the majority of the paint,and if there is any left spots left over then use the chem peel stuff(there will some). congrats on your new home,
let us and the world know how you solved this issue, i'm sure everyone would like to know.

 

Sandblasting the most effective. No matter what chemical stripper you use, you won't get the paint out of all the brick indentations. Thats the biggest reason against painting brick fireplaces.

 

I just found this site. And here I am, someone with a painted brick fireplace, wanting to restore it to brick! It's in my living room and was painted white with latex paint about 20 years ago. (I bought the house from my sister, who painted it, so I know.) After reading, I could still use some help with how to proceed. A beginner's question--what is a heatgun? Would the heatgun approach followed by one of the various products I'm reading about be the best approach in this case? So far, I've read that for latex paint I could use Peel Away, Goof Off, Easy Off Oven Cleaner, Lacquer Thinner, and something called Toluene. My house was built in 1920, so I'm guessing that sandblasting might be too harsh for the age of the brick. Is anyone out there who has experienced doing this? Any additional details, tips and steps would be greatly appreciated.
ps Not to mislead, I'm a new member because I didn't see how to post as a guest!