It is very frustrating when you get paint on things you did not mean to get paint on. Unfortunately, paint sprayers often overspray, and the incidences of paint ending up on brick items outside the house are becoming pretty frequent. There is also the occasional spill or dropped paint bucket that falls to the bricks below. We have heard a lot of mishap scenarios from our readers and they all end with the question, of how to remove spray paint from bricks.
We talked to several house painters and renovation specialists to try and find out what people need to do if their spray-painting project ends up with paint on their brick. The pros knew exactly what we were talking about and were ready with a few tips, hints, and suggestions for our readers.
Type of Paints We Want to Remove from Brick Wall
Fresh Paints
If the paint is fresh, or still damp you probably can use some water and a cloth to wash it away. You want to apply a generous amount of water and wipe the paint away from the brick. You might even want to use a scrub brush to make sure that none of the paint sticks in cracks and crevices and becomes dried on paint.
Oil-Based Paints
If the paint you have gotten on the brick is oil-based paint and has been allowed to dry in place there is a good chance that only a chemical paint stripper will work to remove the substance. Oil-based paints are made to have great adhesion properties and when they stick to something they really stick.
Water-Based Paints
If you were using water-based paint then you may be able to remove the paint using hot soapy water or vinegar. Water-based paints do not adhere as well and they can be diluted and washed away without chemical components. That is why water-based paints are not usually recommended for outside projects. Water can cause the paint to turn loose from the surface material.
Learn more about how you can remove paint from tiles
Useful Methods of Removing Spray Paint from Bricks
Paint Stripper Method
You are going to need
- Commercial paint stripper
- Latex gloves
- Eye protection like goggles
- A pressure washer
Step One: You need to pour the paint stripper over the paint you want to eliminate.
Step Two: You have to wait for the stripper to do its job. The wait could be as short as 15 minutes, or as long as 45 minutes. The waiting period will depend on the stripper you use and the temperature it is outside. In cooler temperatures, the paint is harder to dissolve so the wait is longer.
Step Three: You want to spray the paint stripper off of the bricks using a pressure washer and hot water. If you do not own a pressure washer you can usually rent one at local hardware stores or tool rental stores. Be very careful with the pressure washer because you can erode your brick using these powerful tools.
Step Four: You are going to inspect the brick and repeat steps one through three until the paint is eliminated.
Hot Soapy Water Method
If you have paint on the brick and the paint was a water-based substance there is a real good chance that some hot soapy water and a scrub brush will fix your problem. Just because the paint is water-based does not mean it is going to easily wash away, it will just be easier to wash away than oil-based paints are.
What You Need
- Bucket
- Soap like dish detergent or laundry detergent
- Water, preferable hot
- Water for rinsing can be cold from the garden hose
- Scrub brush
- Gloves to protect your hands
First: you will dip your scrub brush into the hot soapy water and scrub at the areas where the paint is.
Second: you will rinse away the soapy residue and the tiny paint particles you have loosened with the scrub brush
Third: you will repeat the first and second steps until the brick is free of unwanted paint.
Vinegar Scrub for Removing Paint from Brick Wall
It is possible to wash away paint from bricks using a vinegar scrub. This is a method of removal that is less harmful to the plants and things the liquid will come into contact with than a paint stripper is. Vinegar is easy to find and really not very expensive.
What You Need:
- White distilled vinegar, not apple cider vinegar
- Spray bottle
- Safety goggles to protect your eyes
- Latex gloves or dishwashing gloves
- A stiff bristled scrub brush
- Water-hose or bucket of clean water for rinsing
- Scraper, preferably plastic so it does less damage to the brick
The method of removal requires a lot of elbow grease and effort, and may not completely remove all of the paint because brick is porous and absorbs the paint.
First: you need to use the scraper and scrape away as much of the paint as you can. This is a slow and tedious process.
Second: you need to saturate the area with vinegar. Place the vinegar in the spray bottle and spray it onto the painted areas. Spray it heavily.
Third: wait two to three minutes and then begin to scrub the painted area with your scrub brush. You should scrub in different angles and directions so you remove more of the paint. Keep scrubbing and apply more vinegar periodically to help soften the paint even more.
Fourth: is rinsing the vinegar and paint particles off of the brick. When the rinsing is complete you may need to repeat steps two and three until the paint is gone.
Additional Paint Remover Tricks You Can Try
WD 40 Removes Paint from Bricks
A lot of people say they have successfully removed paint from bricks using WD-40. WD-40 can be sprayed over the paint, then you wait a few minutes and scrub the area with a stiff-bristled brush. Rinse away the paint that comes off and repeat the process until the brick is clear.
Hire Professional Removals
There are sandblasters who specialize in the removal of paint from bricks and concrete. These professionals are often hired by cities to remove graffiti that has been sprayed around the city. If the paint is a significant problem for you, or if you are dealing with vulgar graffiti, you may want to call a pro to help you eliminate the problem.
Remove Paint with Mineral Spirits
Mineral spirits will often remove paint from many surface areas. They are chemical compounds so please wear eye and hand protection when you use them. Also, be sure that you rinse the area well after use to try and dilute the spirits that run down the brick and come into contact with the ground.
A high-quality paint stripper can be your method of removing paint from brick. The substance is designed to dissolve paint and break up the adhesion properties so you can wash the residue away.
Detailed guidelines on how to remove paint from brick wall
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vinegar Remove Paint from Brick?
Vinegar causes the paint to lose its adhesion and turn loose from the brick. Vinegar works well if you are trying to remove a water-based formula but if you are dealing with an oil-based substance the vinegar may not have any effect on the paint. If the paint has sat in the hot sun and baked onto the brick it may also be impossible to remove with vinegar.
Does WD-40 Remove Paint Brick?
WD-40 has been reported to be a method of removing paint from brick and many other substances. You will have to try this method to see if it is going to work on the paint you have and the area you are concerned with.
How to Remove Spray Paint Graffiti from Brick?
Spray paint has to be dissolved from the brick and then washed away. You will need to scrub the area with a brush to loosen the particles as the removal agent of your choice works. With hard-to-remove paints, you will need a commercial paint remover. If the graffiti is done with chalk paint or a water-based substance hot soapy water or home remedies like vinegar soaks may help you out.
Final Thoughts
Removing paint is difficult from brick because the brick is porous and it readily soaks in the paint. The best option is for you to protect the brick when you are painting so you do not have this problem.
The experts say that if you do encounter this problem remember that persistence and elbow grease are the best friends you have when it comes to painting removal.
