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Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Removing paint from brick

I just purchased a home that within the last three years had a coat of latex paint applied to the brick of an interior fireplace. Needless to say, sandblasting is not an option. I have tried a product called Peel Away [affil links] on a small area but it is not coming off very easily. A painter has since recommended muriatic acid ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] . Outside of the hazardous elements involved, will this product work more effectively on this project?

Peggy Brewer
- Westerville, Ohio

"The Forgotten Art of
Building a Good Fireplace"

on AbeBooks

or Amazon

(affil links)

I would like to know how this question is answered about removal of paint from a brick fireplace.

Thanks,

Gloria Ward
- La Habra, California

I am interested to knowing the answer of how to remove paint from an interior brick fireplace.

Chuck Felmlee
- Lynchburg, Virginia

I can't compare the effectiveness of the Peel Away [affil links] to other paint strippers, but can say that while muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid) is appropriate for removing efflorescence and mortar stains, I think it is inappropriate for stripping organic materials like paint. And besides being dangerous and toxic, the fumes will rust everything metallic in the area (including stainless appliances) unless you are able to achieve extraordinary ventilation.

Please see letter 15743 for some additional ideas about removing paint from brick. Good luck.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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