Getting brick back

Paint Removal

Painting brickwork takes an afternoon. Getting it off takes a specialist, because the paint is keyed into the pores of the brick and everything fast enough to remove it quickly is also fast enough to remove the brick face.

Think Brick accredited
Fully insured
20+ years experience

Think Brick accredited

Fully insured

20+ years experience

Illawarra to the Highlands

Quick answer

Can paint be removed from brickwork?

Yes, using chemical poultice strippers rather than abrasive blasting. A thick stripping paste is applied to the masonry, covered, and left to dwell for hours so it softens the coating through its full depth, then removed and the surface flushed. Multiple applications are often needed on layered or old paint. Sandblasting removes paint faster but destroys the fired brick face, leaving a porous surface that decays and re-soils rapidly.

At a glance

Method: Poultice / paste stripper, long dwell
Never: Sandblasting on face brick
Typical: 2–3 applications on layered paint
Also handles: Overspray, limewash, failed coatings

Realistic expectations

Paint removal from masonry is honest work with honest limits. If the brick underneath was previously sandblasted, painted to hide damage, or is a soft brick that has been painted for decades, stripping it will reveal what was being covered up.

We always test a patch first. It tells you how many applications the job needs, how the brick looks underneath, and whether stripping is the right call at all — sometimes the correct advice is to re-coat properly rather than strip.

What we strip

Painted face brick and blockwork returning to natural finish
Limewash and calcimine on older buildings
Failed, peeling or blistered masonry coatings
Paint and render overspray on new work
Anti-graffiti and elastomeric coatings that have reached end of life
Line marking and stencilled coatings on concrete

Coverage

Where we do paint removal

Illawarra

Wollongong · Shellharbour · Albion Park · Dapto · Kiama · Shell Cove

Shoalhaven

Nowra · Bomaderry · Vincentia · Huskisson · Berry · Culburra Beach · Ulladulla

Southern Highlands

Bowral · Mittagong · Moss Vale · Bundanoon

Sutherland Shire

Helensburgh · Engadine · Sutherland · Cronulla

Based at Warilla. Everything from Helensburgh to Ulladulla and inland to the Southern Highlands is inside our normal working area.

FAQ

Paint Removal — questions we get asked

Will the brick look original after stripping?

It looks like the brick that was painted over. If it was sound face brick, the result is usually excellent. If it was previously blasted or damaged, that shows. A test patch answers this before you commit to a whole house.

Is sandblasting faster?

Much faster and permanently damaging. It removes the fired outer skin, leaving an open, absorbent surface that grows moss, spalls in frost and can never be restored. It is not something we will do to face brick.

Can you remove render overspray from new brickwork?

Yes, and the sooner the better. Fresh render and paint splatter on new brick comes off far more easily than a cured, weathered one, and it is a common defect item before handover.

Keep reading

Need paint removal quoted?

Call 0448 882 780 or send photos through the quote form. We will tell you what the job needs and what it will cost, including when the honest answer is that you do not need us.

0448 882 780 Free quote