We started this project in late January. I researched online and found that Citristrip was a recommended choice for paint stripper. It doesn't stink as bad and is effective at removing paint.
Stripping paint is slow and not fun. But we do like Citristrip for those times when you have no choice but to strip paint.
So I taped off around the brick, grabbed an old paint brush to apply the stripper to the brick, and went at it. I wore heavy gloves and used a scraper (for lack of a better term) and a stiff-bristled brush to remove the paint. And it took FOREVER.
I spread plastic out on the floor to protect the brick, and poured the stripper on a large piece of aluminum foil to "slop" it up with my paint brush.
After an hour or two of scrubbing at this section of wall, I had managed to do this:
I quickly realized this wasn't going to be easy. So I worked for several hours over the next few days, scraping away at that brick. I found you basically had to remove the top layer of the brick to really get the paint off. The stiff bristled brush would leave marks in the brick (which were kind of soft) so I used it sparingly. When I did have to use it, afterward I would go over that brick with a stripping pad to smooth it back out.
Several days later, I'd managed to get us to this point:
Which is how it stayed for quite some time. We transferred our Baby Nolan embryo in early February, so I immediately stopped using the stripper and didn't need to be around the fumes.
Enter my mom and dad. I have to poke a little fun at them here because they said they'd come up and work on the brick to help us out. Dad kept saying it wouldn't take long at all. Then they came and tried to work on it and realized how painstakingly terrible it is to remove paint from all porous brick. They talked to a local paint shop that recommended a different stripper, tried it, and it was no better.
So life happens, and the brick stayed partially uncovered like this for several months.
Fast forward to a couple months ago. I'm very pregnant, and Dad is getting ready to have knee surgery. He and Mom decided they were going to get that brick uncovered before he'd been down and out for several weeks after having his knee replaced. With a renewed sense of energy :) they tackled the project again. This time, they brought out the heavy machinery. I believe a Dremel, a rotary tool, and a sander were all used to tackle the brick. The work went much faster this time. They figured out not to let the stripper stay on the brick for as long and that helped as well. In a matter of a few days, the brick were uncovered!
I was so excited to come home and see this progress!
The beautiful exposed, not painted brick!
This project had been a thorn in my side because I wasn't able to get it done before we got pregnant. I hate leaving things unfinished, and I hate feeling helpless, but it obviously wasn't worth risking Nolan's health for me to strip paint off of brick. We really appreciate all of Mom and Dad's work on getting the brick uncovered! It's so nice to walk in the house and see that punch of color and character that before had just blended in with the walls and cabinets.
There is a hole in the brick stack where a pipe was previously installed. We do plan on getting a brick mason to fill that hole when we have one come to help with the upstairs portion of this stack and some work we want to do in the dining room. Until then, we've covered it up with a flue cover, and are enjoying our beautiful finished kitchen!
The finished product - we love our exposed brick!
