Bricks, Masonry, Asphalt and Concrete - Removing paint from brick

Hey guys,

Our brick fireplace has been painted an untold number of times. The paint buildup is thick enough that you can barely make out the mortar joints.

My wife and I are interested in stripping all the paint off back to the natural finish. A few questions:

-What best to use for stripping paint off interior brick?

-The fireplace itself is in the neighborhood of 70-90 years old; I have no idea how long it has been painted. If we're able to strip all the paint off, should the brick still be in acceptable shape? (assuming it was ok before it was painted)

-The bricks have a scored face (judging by the unpainted brick on the outside and underneath the house). I assume this will make complete removal of the paint more difficult. Any additional thoughts on that?

Thanks!

I think you are going to have a very hard time.

Perhaps thses previous post will give you some insight:

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=251020&highlight=remove+paint+fireplace

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=235484&highlight=remove+paint+fireplace

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=184607&highlight=remove+paint+fireplace

It isn't going to happen. If you want a brick fireplace, lath it and use cultured brick.

I agree. Sandblasting and pressure washing [coupled with paint remover] are the 2 best ways to remove paint from brick, neither a good idea inside. Also the older brick is usually softer than new brick and there is a good likelyhood they will be damaged with whatever method is used.

Carefull scraping and sanding may bring back the mortar joints but would be awfully tedious work.