Removing Plaster to Expose Brick
Has anyone ever removed plaster from an interior wall in order to achieve that “exposed brick” look? Please provide pointers and tips as to how to do it correctly – we are brining some laborers to remove plaster from the western walls of 3 floors this weekend!
Has anyone ever removed plaster from an interior wall in order to achieve that “exposed brick” look? Please provide pointers and tips as to how to do it correctly – we are brining some laborers to remove plaster from the western walls of 3 floors this weekend!
Does anybody have advice for: (1) how to make clean cuts in plaster so as not to disturb the plaster walls surrounding the brick fireplace I wish to expose, and (2) how to bridge the gap between surrounding plaster walls and the newly exposed fireplace which is now sitting 1.5″ further back than where it used to meet the corner of the surrounding plaster walls? Also, is it realistic to expect that with the right tools and care one can avoid plaster repair on surrounding walls? Finally, what tools would you recommend? Thank you!
I reccomend a few applications of GSRestoration to get rid of the film, it works very well, you may need to get it at contractor supply stores in your area. I got mine from Houston Starr in Pittsburgh. – Barry
hello out there please clear up something for
me people I have exposed brick six guys in three days 60ft of it it looks great but the extra plaster film do I wire brush it or
acid every body I talk to tells me different
stories please help mitchell philadelphia
Hey, follow up to my post directly above, I just tried Norton Rapid Strip 4 x 1 discs and they work amazingly well at removing the left over plaster on the bricks. Once the primary plaster is knocked off and you just have residue these do the trick. I just put them in my drill and go to fast work. I got mine in home depot for about 5 bucks. Just wanted to spread the word, enjoy – Barry
“Barry’s Plaster Stripping from Brick Guide”
I recently stripped the plaster off 3 large brick fireplaces in my craftsman house and it looks excellent. To remove the plaster in the first place wear eye protection and a face mask, and use a small sledge hammer and crowbar shank to smash and then lever up all the plaster.
After a few good whacks with the sledge hammer (3 pound is good for this if your strong enough) the plaster will just fall down and you can chisel up from there removing the rest of the plaster with the crow bar. I’d reccommend using a level and ruler and blade to cut deep lines in the plaster at the border of the point you want the plaster to stay up, so when you knock the plaster off you don’t accidentally also pull plaster you wanted to keep up on the wall off too, since this is a fast method, but it is definitely not an exact science.
After doing this there will still be some residual plaster on the brick. I tried just hand wire brushing the plaster dust off but it was taking forever! I bought a wire brush attachment for my drill (ask for one at homedepot in the hardware section) which makes quick work of removing the residue. The attachment spins perpindicularly, so I guide the drill foreward with it’s length parallell to the wall to clean the brick. As you use it though, do not press to hard into the brick, or metal from the wire brush will flake off into the brick. This part will take some time, but it is a much faster method than any other I’ve encountered.
After your done brushing clean the brick with a brillo pad, with water and detergent, let it dry, seal it with masonry/brick sealer so no masonry dust gets in the room and your done. I learned most of these techniques by trial and error but they have been very effective in my experience. Hope this helps you! – Barry
I am in total agreement with last post. In moderation, exposed brick gives a room a cozy, warm atmosphere. We were debating about whether to expose a wall – our contractor took pictures of the existing wall and transposed the plaster to brick in photoshop so that I could see what it would look like with brick. I am SOLD. The brick ties in beautifully with the loads of honey brown oak flooring and trim we have throughout the house.
I looked at several websites for help with a similar project and have found that you can’t get advice on exposing old brick without also getting a bunch of people giving you their personal aesthetic preferences. They’ll say it’s very 1970’s, or it’s very 1980’s. Whatever. It’s your house, do what YOU WANT. We’ve spent many hours taking down plaster and are now at the “clean and then decide whether to seal” phase of the project. The wall already looks beautiful and we’re very happy we didn’t listen to the online wall-style police. Hey, not everyone wants to be surrounded by drywall.
Now I am throughly confused. Is exposed brick passe or an eye appealing overall improvement to my living environment? Will I hear more sound from my neighbors? And then there is the decision of which dangerous, corrosive, cleaning acid to use! Although my house is about a century old there are few remaining original interior details. The exposed brick appears to be in relatively good condition, though I will probably have to re-grout a few places. It’s a typical red-brick row-house in Philadelphia. A friend had a wall exposed in his house and I liked the look, so decided to do the same thing. I currently live in my house, but eventually intend to use it as a rental property. I have already started to remove the plaster so I guess I’ll continue the process. But, after reading some of the previous comments, I find myself questioning whether I am doing the best thing or not?
I am surprised at all the comments about brick walls being passe. Although perhaps DC homes are as behind in fashion as our clothing – exposed brick is a huge plus here! I was going to expose the brick in the adjoining wall (duplex) that goes up the stairs. I thought the brick would be a lovely complement to the oak floors and trim throughout the house (we knocked out a chunk of the plaster in the closet and the brick looks to be in great shape). But I am concerned about the sound reduction – will removing the plater really make that big of a difference? I would hate to inconvenience my neighbor.
Thanks!