Restoring a 200-Year-Old Stone Fireplace in Lingfield
We are often called in to restore stone and tile where others have not been able to succeed, and this was the case with this 200-year-old stone fireplace in Lingfield. To be fair to the previous company its was covered in 5mm of paint in multiple layers so it was no easy task to restore.
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The church in Lingfield village was apparently rebuilt in 1431 so it’s not surprising to find houses here containing some impressive period features. This property also had an old Pamment tiled hallway which I wrote about in a previous article.
Removing Paint from a Stone Fireplace
To strip the multiple layers of paint off the stone fireplace I would need to apply a strong chemical, so my first task was to protect the adjacent woodwork. I tend to use a thin blue film for this as it sticks well to most surfaces and like professional decorators masking tape it doesn’t remove the paint when you remove it later.
To soften and remove the paint I applied a special paste that is brushed on and slowly emulsifies the paint so it can be easily peeled off. To ensure all the layers could be removed I blanketed the whole fireplace in a thin laminated membrane which ensures the product doesn’t evaporate. The paste is safe to use on Stone and I left it for a couple of days before returning.
I returned to the house in Lingfield and completed the messy job of stripping off the now pliable paint taking care not to damage the fireplace or the surroundings. Once done and the waste removed, I set about cleaning up the now naked stone with Tile Doctor Acid Gel.
Acid Gel is a perfect choice for this job as being a gel its easy to control and sticks to the vertical surface allowing it to be scrubbed in without running down the facia. After scrubbing the gel was carefully rinsed off with a sponge.
Large Stone Fireplace Restored in East Surrey
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