[max m]

I have been removing paint from stone window sills. The house was built in 1938 and there are multiple layers of paint. Some may be oil based. I started with the removal cream that is covered with paper and stays on the surface over night. After removal of this substance, I apply liquid paint remover and loosen the remaining paint with a wire brush and water. It appears that all the paint is gone but the stone ( which I think is limestone) is not the typical grey color. It has a grey background but there are also darker blue/grey horizontal steaks that give the stone a marble like appearance. Additional applications of the liquid removar don't change the appearance. I have never seen limestone look like this. Is this a different type of stone or have I damaged the limestone while removing the paint?

Thanks

[Clough]

Hi, max m!

The first thing that I would do is to get a second opinion by someone to make sure of what kind of stone it is. There are different types and colors of limestone. Please click Here and Here

It's possible that you might have changed the color of the limestone, or whatever stone it might be, by using the liquid paint remover or even because of the paint that had been on it for a number of years. But, the color change might only be superficial.

If, after determining truly what kind of stone it is and if it's not the color that it's supposed to be, then my suggestion would be to lightly sand the stone in an area that is not all that noticeable, and see if the sanding does remove some of the discoloration. If it does, then you might want to try a palm sander or even a wire wheel attached to a drill to see about removing the additional discoloration. Using either of those methods though, I would still test in an inconspicuous area to see what the result is, and if the result is desirable.

If you need to remove further paint, you might want to try using a heat gun with a respirator for breathing on your face. Using a heat gun would probably speed the removal process up a bit.

Thanks!

[KBC]

I have removed paint from stone sills with liquid paint remover and a pressure washer,multiple passes with the washer,till the majority of the paint(and remover) were removed.

It worked great for the village hall,here where I live.

[Clough]

I didn't even think about a pressure washer, KBC! That's a great idea!

[KBC]

I didn't even think about a pressure washer, KBC! That's a great idea!

Who da man?

LOL :)

[ballengerb1]

Another option is a sand blaster filled with corn fines. It will remove the paint and not add any color or damage the stone.