Victorian Stone Lintels / Window Surround

[matt80]

Hi all,

I have a very typical Victorian Semi built in 1899. There is a bay window downstairs and some 'flat' windows upstairs. All of them have either stone lintels or surrounds which have been painted. Some of the paint is just starting to bubble, crack and come away in places. I am considering one of two approaches:

1. Removing the old paint and getting back to the natual stone. However, I'm concerned about getting the paint off without damaging the stone. Is this possible?
2. Renewing the paint. How would I prepare the existing surfaces, and what kind of paint should I use?

*Edit* Hopefully this will work... here is a street view to make it clear what I'm talking about!
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=52.929538,-1.223044&spn=0.009688,0.01929&hnear=Beeston+NG9+1AX,+United+Kingdom&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=52.929612,-1.222879&panoid=QOJOt0VGz6TW-ENO_7mGhg&cbp=12,350.99,,1,-2.85

Many thanks
Matt

 

[Feltwell]

Personally, if the stone is in a reasnoble condition I'd go back to bare stone. Loads and loads and loads of old paint stripping topics on here if you search, and nearly all of them will point you in one company's direction - Strippers of Sudbury (just Google them). The only thing I wouldn't recommend their products for is stripping paint off softwood, I found Nitromors to be better for that.

I've used Stripper's products to remove masonry paint from decorative terracota features with great effect, you'd never know they had been painted now after a couple of years to weather down again.

Edit - ohh, now having seen your link it looks rather good painted! Down to personal taste in the end I guess. What about that house opposite yours, with the red door and metal railings? That is bare stone and it looks so clean I'm guessing it's either been paint stripped or cleaned in recent times.

 

[Penners]

1. I agree with Feltwell. I would use Klingstrip from Strippers of Sudbury. http://www.stripperspaintremovers.com/

2. You could leave it unpainted, if you like that. If you want it painted, I'd suggest a few coats of limewash. Just make sure you have fully washed off all the Klingstrip and applied neutraliser before you paint.