Removing Paint from Basement Brick

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Before & After

In the midst of giving our bungalow basement a semi-finished refresh, my partner and I wanted to remove the paint covering the brick walls. Like many bungalow basements in Chicago, the upper half of the walls are made of original common brick, and the bottom half—the foundation—is concrete. The painted brick was especially unsightly because it was flaking off and appeared to be more of a grey smudge even though it was white paint. This might have been due to the build up of grime and moisture over the decades, as it had been covered over with fiberboard since the early 1990s.

That white powdery substance on the brick behind the mechanicals is "efflorescence" — salt from the brick's clay brought to the surface as moisture evaporates through it when it's unable to through the mortar.

More importantly, there was efflorescence in a few areas. When we saw this, we knew that, in addition to one day repointing with a proper mortar, we had to allow the brick breathe by removing the paint that was locking in moisture and causing deterioration.

But what a daunting task! How can paint be removed from brick? This is a question the Chicago Bungalow Association often gets from our members.

Heavy Duty Masonry Cleaner from Cathedral Stone Products, Inc. and a pressure washer were the key ingredients.

In a past blog post, "Removing Paint from Vintage Masonry," Carla Bruni explained the process, which I've copied here:

• Use the gentlest means possible when removing paint.

• Use a natural bristle brush (never wire!) to apply chemicals.

• Conduct a sample test of a proposed cleaning method in an inconspicuous location on the building first.

• Use an alkaline paint remover. Examples are ammonia, potassium hydroxide, or trisodium phosphate. Organic solvent paint remover can also be used (methylene chloride). A few product suggestions:

  • Cathedral Stone Products Masonry Cleaner (works best in weather over 60° F) (also available through Henry Frerk Sons)

  • ProSoCo Heavy Duty Paint Stripper (also available at Henry Frerk Sons)

  • Peel Away 1 Paint Remover (also available at select Sherwin Williams)

• Let the chemical rest on the surface for the time recommended by the product manufacturer.

• Do a thorough, low pressure, water wash of the stone when it is time to remove the chemical treatment (see product manufacturer specifications).

• Take appropriate precautions to ensure that you are using the product safely. Both acidic and alkaline cleaners can be dangerous to those using them, and there are additional environmental concerns associated with the use of chemical cleaners. Be sure to follow directions and dispose of chemicals responsibly.

Carlos & Cindy Garcia won a Driehaus Bungalow Award in 2024 for cleaning their exterior brick with a gentle masonry cleaner and a pressure washer.

In addition to Carla's blog post, I referred to (and got motivation from) Carlos and Cindy Garcia's 2024 Driehaus Bungalow Awards project. After testing Carla's above method on a small area of their bungalow's exterior brick, and finding that Cathedral Stone Products Heavy Duty Cleaner worked well for removing the build up of dirt, they wrote up the process and hired a business, Juan Restoration and Construction, to do the job.

The daunting task of pressure washing paint off the interior of a 1200 sq ft basement...

In a previous DIY project, I used the masonry cleaning product mentioned above and a rented pressure washer to remove paint from four limestone caps on our front porch wing walls. After struggling through many hours across two days on a tiny exterior area, I decided it best to take a page from the Garcia's book and hire a professional for our much larger interior basement job!

Ace Handyman Services from the Trusted Referrals Business Directory is who we ended up hiring. We had already been in talks with them about our basement goals, and when we asked about brick paint removal, they referred us to a mason on their team named Andre who could do the work.

How much of the masonry cleaner was needed? To cover the upper half of the walls in a 1200 sq ft basement, Andre advised us to purchase at least the 5-gallon bucket from Cathedral Stone Products, and maybe a little more just in case.

Before & After

Andre completed the job in two days. He used a paint roller to apply the product, let it sit as long as stated in the manual (20 minutes, or before it dries), then pressure washed it off. Each wall needed at least two applications of the cleaner and passes of the pressure washer, but some needed more.

Lots of water. Have plastic tarps, a large dehumidifier, and a blower fan on hand.

As you can imagine, pressure washing indoors meant a lot of water and mist filling up the space. A long waterproof poncho and rain boots really came in handy for Andre! He also had to cover the boiler, laundry machines, etc. with plastic tarps. After he left each day, he advised us to keep the windows open, turn on a blower fan for a few hours, and run a dehumidifier all night. When the work was done, we kept the dehumidifier running for about three more days and that successfully dried out the area. (We got an ENERGY STAR certified dehumidifier in order to take advantage of the ComEd Appliance Rebate, and have been happy with our 50-pint Pelonis from Menards.)

It's worth mentioning that our basement has a plaster ceiling. Water droplets accumulated around the ceiling edges, but thoroughly dried out with the dehumidifier over three days. If you have a drywall ceiling or exposed wood rafters, you may have different results.

Before & After

In the end, the result is a major improvement. Compared to its previous state, it's cleaner, warmer, and more natural. When we look around, we see a charming bungalow basement with exposed brick (along with the rest of our long to-do list, but that's another story)!

Another improvement is the brick can now breathe and release moisture that was being held in by all that paint. The efflorescence was pressure washed off in the process. If it comes back in the future, we'll know the reason is mortar that's too-hard, and we'll repoint with a proper, softer mortar to allow remaining moisture to evaporate.

Finally! Exposed brick!

We know, it's not perfect. There are scattered remnants of white paint, despite multiple passes of the cleaner and pressure washer. Some areas had a very stubborn base layer of paint. Regardless of paint type, brick (especially vintage brick) is porous, and stuff gets stuck in pores. The moral of the story here: don't paint masonry!

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How To Remove Paint from Interior Basement Brick

Estimated Time: At least 2 days of labor

Who We Hired: Ace Handyman Services

Cost:

$3,076 for labor (including supply fees for their pressure washer, etc.)

$187.51 masonry cleaning product ($146.00 subtotal + $41.51 shipping when ordering online from manufacturer)

$3,263.51 total*

*Disclaimer: The price mentioned in this post reflects the cost we paid for the work done on our house. Please note that this amount may not reflect the price you’ll be quoted for similar work, as prices can vary due to the size of the area and various other factors.

Materials:

• 5 gallons of Cathedral Stone Products, Inc. Heavy Duty Masonry Cleaner

• 2700 max PSI pressure washer

• Paint tray

• Paint roller

• Natural bristle scrub brush (optional)

• Plastic tarps

• Tape

• Waterproof poncho

• Rain boots

• Push broom

• Blower fan

• Large dehumidifier (50-pint ENERGY STAR certified recommended)

Instructions:

Note: Only do this in unfinished basements. The interior will get wet.

1. Open windows and exterior doors for circulation.

2. Cover mechanicals, electrical, and appliances with plastic tarps and tape.

3. Using a paint tray and paint roller, apply cleaner to a small area of brick. (Optional: Scrub the cleaner into the brick with a natural bristle brush.)

4. Let the cleaner sit for about 20 minutes or at least before it dries. In the meantime, put on your waterproof poncho and rain boots!

5. Pressure wash the cleaner off the brick. Use a flat/fan spray nozzle. Start at the lowest PSI and work your way up to see what amount of pressure is needed.

6. Repeat steps 3-5 on a larger area. Do in sections. Repeat on already cleaned areas if paint remains.

7. Push water down floor drains with push broom.

8. Turn on blower fan and keep windows and doors open for at least a few hours.

9. Leave dehumidifier running at least a couple days until surfaces are dry.