PDA

View Full Version : Getting paint off exterior brick...



Evan Ryan
02-03-2016, 7:40 PM
The House next door is being gutted and the brick back of the house is painted. They already demolished the old porch and a few paint chips jumped the fence into my yard, nothing to get excited about.
But if they want to Tuckpoint that brick I think they're going to have to remove the paint.

If they set up a scaffold and start grinding that seems like the wrong way to go about it.

Can any painters, renovators or knowledgable creekers let me know the proper way to do the job so I know what to look out for?

Myk Rian
02-03-2016, 8:13 PM
Media blasting.

Bruce Wrenn
02-03-2016, 8:17 PM
Tuck pointing means they are replacing damaged mortar joints. Typically you use an angle grinder, and remove old mortar before tuck pointing. Like regrouting tile, only on a larger scale. It's messy work.

Mel Fulks
02-03-2016, 9:39 PM
Around here "tuck pointing " means carefully putting morter in the joints of existing work without smearing it on the brick.
since the house in question has painted brick the term might be misapplied.

Evan Ryan
02-03-2016, 9:49 PM
The tuck pointing I'm talking about requires grinding out mortar then putting in new mortar.
I assumed they would have to remove the paint before grinding the joints. If the paint is lead based I'm afraid there could be lead dust in the air.
I'm going to get a lead paint test kit and check the paint chips.

Mel Fulks
02-03-2016, 10:02 PM
Don't think your real concern was clear in the initial post but I think you are wise to want to know if if any lead will be blowing around. Might need to talk to local authorities about required procedures.

Jerome Stanek
02-04-2016, 8:12 AM
The tuck pointing I'm talking about requires grinding out mortar then putting in new mortar.
I assumed they would have to remove the paint before grinding the joints. If the paint is lead based I'm afraid there could be lead dust in the air.
I'm going to get a lead paint test kit and check the paint chips.

If it is lead paint you may have to hire a company to remove it from your property

Brian Tymchak
02-04-2016, 8:46 AM
If it is lead paint you may have to hire a company to remove it from your property

I think it is very prudent on your part to look into this before they start grinding away. If you suspect the paint was applied before 1978, when lead based paint was banned, then I would approach the owner or contractor and ask the question outright. Much better to get in front of this issue than have to worry about cleanup afterwards. Any cost for removal of lead contamination of your property due to their improper handling procedures should fall on the other owner.

If possible, try to test the paint used on the brick, in case it's different than the paint from the porch. that is if the owner agrees. probably not kosher to sneak over there and get a scraping at night.

Shawn Pixley
02-04-2016, 11:40 AM
Grinding (or media blasting) will ruin the brick. The face of brick is harder than the interior. Grinding takes that hard exterior exposing the soft interior. The proper way is to strip it off. Watch for lead paint. Test a scrap yourself?

Evan Ryan
02-04-2016, 5:42 PM
I got a positive test for lead. From the initial demo of the porch there are a few chips in my yard and I used a lead tester from the hardware store.
I am trying to stay ahead of this.
Thanks everyone for the advice.

Erik Loza
02-04-2016, 5:52 PM
Oof... I don't have any answers but am curious about the solutions. Asbestos mitigation has been a deal here in our neighborhood and they cordon stuff off like a crime scene.

Erik

Myk Rian
02-04-2016, 6:02 PM
Don't think your real concern was clear in the initial post.
No kidding. Otherwise my reply would have been totally different.

Jason Roehl
02-05-2016, 5:48 AM
Oof... I don't have any answers but am curious about the solutions. Asbestos mitigation has been a deal here in our neighborhood and they cordon stuff off like a crime scene.

Erik

The solutions are (should be) well-known among your local contractors:

http://www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-program

I won't go into my opinion of this particular rule and its implementation, but somewhere in that link are the legal requirements for how to deal with lead paint. Personally, I would use a stripper, covered with plastic or paper, allowed to sit for ~24 hours, then peeled off.

Jon Nuckles
02-06-2016, 2:47 PM
My only knowledge on this comes from watching "This Old House," but recent projects have gone into detail about the regulations that now govern working with lead paint on homes. You may need to make sure the proper procedures are followed, or at least the proper authorities are aware of the project.

Brian Elfert
02-06-2016, 4:14 PM
If the contractor isn't going to take steps to deal with the lead after talking to him then I would call the EPA or similar who can enforce the rules.

Personally, there is almost zero chance I would ever buy a house built before 1979. Asbestos and lead paint is so damned expensive to remove I just don't want to deal with it. My house was built in 1980 so I think I'm safe. I sure hope they didn't still have left over lead based paint by 1980. If you wanted to reside a 1978 or older house you couldn't remove the old siding yourself if it was ever painted with lead paint. You would have to pay a trained contractor. The EPA is treating lead like ingesting a single speck of lead dust would lead to immediate death.