Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:45:37 +0000 (UTC), Tim Watts wrote:

Would a pressure washer work?
Even a big bugger would only take the flakey stuff off.
Isn't that's all that's needed - he's repainting it?

I'd like to get as much of the old layers of paint of as possible so
I can clean/stabilise the stone, repoint as required and apply a
modern breathable paint. By "old" I would guesstimate at 20 or 30
years and it's those old layers that are failing.

As you're the man, can you get extra long lances on the for-hire big
machines for this sort of job?

There is fair bit of kick from a normal short lance ona domestic
washer let along a BFO one with a long lance. You wouldn't be able to
see what you are doing either.

I live in an old bolloxed house, but at least the walls aren't rendered
or painted - I think that's one job I'd hate more than anything...

Render I hate, I always feel it's there to cover up a problem with
the wall.

No, sometimes its part of the intended structure of the house.


Last winter a great slab of it fell off one wall, base coat
is pretty soft with a hard thin layer. Who ever put it on didn't
remove the existing paint, that paint has now failed thus the render
has fallen off... I shall probably remove all that render as the rest
of the wall is bound to go the same way.


Ah well, mine is all laid over metal lathe, and painted to the hilt. Lovely.