js.b1 wrote:
A pressure washer can be fitted with a sand blaster attachment. That
may be too severe, or at least risks brick face damage.

However I'm sure Tommy Walsh had an angle grinder (looked like 9")
with a large flat disc with a pad on it which was specifically to
remove paint without damaging the face of bricks. Once the face has
gone you are screwed, a few wet winters will trash them quite quickly.

The material on the disk was arranged in a raised spiral pattern, I
suspect not too different to a 3M Clean n Strip disc - but much harder
because they wear down very quickly when removing even small paint
spots from brickwork.

They're stones, not bricks.


Having it professionally blasted would be ideal but as you can imagine this
is going to be expensive.
manually with a wire brush is going to take forever.
Which leaves mechanically, and doing it with a needle gun wouldn't work
neither IME as I think the needles would just compress spots of paint into
the stone.

http://www.brandontoolhire.co.uk/dir...p?idproduct=74

Is a grit blaster /pressure washer and can be had for about £50 a week,
although I'd be a bit wary of water ingress, especially if it requires
repointing in places

--
Phil L
RSRL Tipster Of The Year 2008