Another close up for those that are interested (we’ve been told the induction won’t be today so I’m keeping busy!)

So looks like we have brick at the very bottom, then it looks like it had the cement wash, then a layer of yellow paint then topped with the grey-ish render on top.

I know blasting will remove the render and the paint but I bet it won’t remove the cement that recessed into the bricks!

Certainly not even close to an expert, but a fair bit of the stuff on top looks like it could be taken off with a broad cold chisel, working upwards from below. Then, could a wire whizz-wheel be used to take the paint off the brick?

I’m just chucking vague ideas around to see if there are options that might work that involve low costs but may be slower.

I’m going to predict that your soon to be born child will be coming around from their house and saying “when do you reckon you’ll get that finished dad?” 🙂

Armchair Internet expert opinion
The bricks have spalled hence the rendering.
In your picture the face of the brick had come away leaving the soft interior open to the elements. Either through freezing and thawing,or movements.
This is why itlooks to have had a lime coat amd paint, further cracking, delamination had subsequently occurred and the second one a rough cement render had been pudding on top.
If you try to remove these layers chances are that many bricks will have also failed or will fail in the process, as the cement bonds into the substrate of the brick.
This is a problem, spalled bricks let in moisture, look nasty and are hard to change.
The next problem is what to do.
If ypu go aheaf and do your best to remove 2 coats of render you will potentially let moisture in through the walls. It has to go through as cement is waterproof. Sealing the bricks, and re rendering is one option but any ingres from roof or window leaks will be trapped in the brick plus any moisture produced internally from breathing, cooking, showers, washing etc will sit in the wall.
You could lime wash the outside, someone on here does it for a job.
In my ‘ i visited a brick factory once in the 1980s so im an expert’ opinion, if you have at the faces with anything the level of abrasion requirement will spall other bricks and pop tjem open too. Not what you want to hear.
I could also be totally wrong and only the brick in the photo will fail amd all the others will clean up perfectly and look smashing

So that part I scraped off was with an SDS chisel and a tile removing 50mm end I think

There’s so much work by the looks of it, and some bricks will be ruined but we do have plenty to replace those that I pulled out of a flowerbed (around 200) .

It’s turning out to be a huge headache as all we want is back to brick, remove the porch and stick an oak arch on the front. I have it in me to get scaffold up and just sds drill full on as much as poss but by the sounds of it time isn’t going to be on my side!

Aaaaaaargh!

The bricks have spalled hence the rendering.

You may well be right but, if so, why this property and not next door?

I’m not sure what the answer to this whole this is but I’m doubtful you’re going to get the brick finish that you’re after without spending a ridiculous amount of money.
Think I’d be looking to see if there’s another ‘look’ that you’re happy with.

I have it in me to get scaffold up and just sds drill full on as much as poss but by the sounds of it time isn’t going to be on my side!

This is obviously your first child!! Frankly I’d be surprised if you’re allowed to do anything louder than boil the kettle for the next 12 months!

Hahaha that made me laugh, I’m under no illusion that I won’t be able to do what I was saying as not naive enough to go “I know better”

We booked the pointers to work March 2023 around 1.5 years ago expecting it’d have been well untruly done by now, how can everyone on “Homes under the Hammer” get projects done so quickly!

We even tried to get a builder to take it on and weren’t interested as it wasn’t enough……

I’ll bring it up again with the Missus when baby’s here and I don’t put that in her head hours beforehand, I’m thoughtful like that 😆

Similar armchair expert here. I am in the I have done a limework course so am obviously at the a little knowledge is dangerous stage.

You say your neighbors had there house done? Was there render done at the same time? To the same method if not comparing results may give you false data.

Also when you say you tried a pressure washer do you mean full power industrial in one? Or a little karcher?

The bricks are probably softer than modern London bricks (yuk!) But not necessarily soft bricks, however removing the render will have a high chance of damaging the bricks.

I think one of best points made on page one was do a test area. It may be as I suspect going back to brick fully for athletics is not achievable and it may be worth removing as much as possible then perhaps some wood cladding or something else as a finish.

Also steam removal sounds worth looking into.

If it can’t be removed and you want a back to brick look have you considered fitting brick slips over the top of existing?
Don’t know if from your name you’re based in York or whether that’s just your name. But either way, I can highly recommend a local company Brick Slips Fitters
A lot of their work is interior but they also do full-house exterior work.

Or maybe go tile hung frontage.
If you could source enough reclaimed tiles from 1900s it could get close to the effect your after.
Be shedloads cheaper as, i think, you drill and screw batterns on and hand the tiles off the batterns.
Would slightly increase the weather proof of your house, maybe be a tiny bit warmer, and, if ypu can find something similar in colour to next door, kinda blend in.

Well I just thought I’d post an update to this….

So tomorrow we have a company coming down from Newcastle who seem very reputable, to do some test patches. It’s just the way the bricks have been smoothed over with a basecoat that makes us nervous it won’t work but for £600 for the day even if it doesn’t work we save a fortune and get to rethink. If it does work they’ll re-book the whole job for January and take the £600 off the whole job price!

More updates tomorrow as soon as I can… talk About suspense!!

Is there really no feasible way to kill two birds with one stone and get your solid walls externally insulated and use aged/tumbled brick slips to get it aesthetically back to your liking? Perhaps there were even be a grant to help, not looked into it myself as we already have cavity wall insulation.

Well….. we have a result! So it turns out their lightest media was enough to strip all the render as well as get into the tyrolean that had been covering the bricks to make them smooth.

Chuffed to bits and booked in to now get it all done January, didn’t even damage the mortar or the brick face by the looks and it’s come up exactly how we wanted!!

looks good, sometimes it pays to get people in who know what’s what.

I agree, I mean he said they had £60k’s worth of kit there. Compared to the £700 I was thinking of spending…. No comparison 😂

That looks really promising, hope it all looks that good when they’ve finished

Thought I posted this on here, or maybe another thread but to repeat.

I heard somewhere/sometime that if you sandblast brick or stonework that you take the weathering off it and make the surface porous to the point it can absorb moisture(or something like that) and it can lead to damage, crumbling or dampness, and you need to seal it with something(no idea what) after you’ve cleaned it back to bare.

Anyone any info on this ?.

Your pic is funny.

Bloke with a message on his back saying “your safety is our safety” while balancing precariously on an old lichen covered wall 😆

Facade cream is what you want on the bricks if they are porous.

Just thought I’d provide an update…. Scaffold is up, sandblaster is coming from 9th Jan.
House threw us another curveball though when we went to destroy the old porch….. the main electricity cable comes up from the floor and up the porch wall into the house!
Obviously I aren’t touching that and looks like it’s going to cost at least £850 to get the powergrid to relocate it!!