Lo all. I have a cinderblock wall that needs to be stripped of old paint that's flaking and calcite deposits that have built up over the years. I need to seal this wall before the ground thaws out too much more. Because of the weather going from Frigid to beautiful so quickly my procrastinating has caught up with me.

I have considered using a wire wheel on a drill, but that is going to take forever. I need to do this quick so I can maybe get the sealer on this weekend, or one night next week.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

sandblastings best, maybe pressure washer..........mayhaps muratic acid

 

Sandblaster and then seal it with UGL drylock.

 

How old is the paint? More than 30 years old? May be lead-based. Be careful when sandblasting lead-based paint. I think they outlawed lead-base paint in 1978 or 79.

 

I can almost bet it's older the 30, I could be wrong however. The paint is quite loose and alot has flaked off already. Thank you for the warning, I had not given that consideration.

 

As long as it's your residence, then you’re fine. But, a commercial establishment is another matter (in some states). I wouldn't go stirring the stink over it if it's not a public place.

Just be sure there's no children around - they love the sweet taste of lead. Pets too. I would also put some visqueen down to catch the waste. You wouldn’t want it leaching into your garden, if you have one. In sandblasting lead-base paint there is potential to have 2500 micograms of airborne lead at any given point. With that amount a Full-face air purifying respirator is recommended. I suppose you’ll have supplied air anyway with a sandblaster.
Chemical strippers are messy and a last resort – also hard (headache) to get rid of the waste since it will be considered hazardous waste.
Scraping is the best, but also time consuming and hard work.
Rotary brushes are slow, too.

Just do the job and be prepared, the less publicity the better – if the paint on it is 1978 or older.