Removing black, sooty paint.

[spacedman]

The stone lintel above my fireplace is covered in black paint that smells sooty and smudges on your fingers. I want to re-paint it neatly in black (it was covered up by four layers of wallpaper and woodchip until recently).

Have tried HomeStrip paint stripper, but that didn't do much better than water, producing a black mush that sponged off taking a tiny amount of the paint with it.

I've also tried scraping and sponging - it gets some of it off but it'll take forever at this rate.

Any ideas? What kind of paint is this? Lampblack? Can I just seal it with something and paint over it?

Barry

 

[JohnD]

how do you know that it is paint, and not sooty, tarry deposits from the fire beneath?

 

[spacedman]

how do you know that it is paint, and not sooty, tarry deposits from the fire beneath?

Good point, but it seems to be an even layer, much like it was paint! Either way, it's got to go....

 

[Zampa]

Any chance of a pic?..it could be many things

 

[spacedman]

Any chance of a pic?..it could be many things

I think it is soot. Thick black soot. The best way I've found to get it off at the moment is to apply a thick paste of washing powder, leave a few hours, then wash off, taking quite a bit of the black stuff with it.

Under that there's a thin rust-coloured layer onto the bare stone. That might be paint or just discolouration of the stone I suppose.

Still quite a lot to do, so any better ideas welcome.

 

[Johnmelad502]

Try a hot-air-gun, will either work or do nothing, but worth a try.

 

[dextrous]

Suppose you've tried sugar soap?