07725 314415Paint Removal across Devon
Sometimes the problem isn't dirt or failed paint, it's paint that should never have gone on in the first place: masonry paint sealing an old solid wall, layers of limewash, the wrong colour brushed over natural stone, or graffiti across a shopfront. We remove unwanted coatings from brick, stone and render using DOFF superheated steam and the right specialist strippers, taking the surface back to its original face and letting the wall breathe again.
The Moore & Franks approach
Masonry paint on an older solid-wall property is a common one. It looks tidy for a while, but it traps moisture in a wall that was built to breathe, and damp problems follow. Stripping it off with low-pressure superheated steam clears the coating without blasting the brick or stone underneath, so the wall can dry out and the original surface comes back. Heritage and conservation-area fabric needs exactly this kind of gentle, controlled approach rather than anything abrasive.
Graffiti and tags are the other regular call. The sooner they're dealt with the better, and the method depends on the surface and the paint — steam alone shifts a lot of it, and a graffiti-specific remover handles the rest without leaving a ghost or a scoured patch behind. We also take off limewash, old distemper, flaking coatings and over-painting from stone mullions, plinths and features where someone has painted over what should have been left bare.
Every removal job starts with a test patch. Coatings and substrates vary enormously, so we prove the method on a small, discreet area first, confirm it lifts the paint cleanly and leaves the surface sound, then work across the elevation. The free site visit covers that assessment and a written quote, with an honest steer on what will and won't come back to bare — some historic coatings are bonded in for good, and we'll say so rather than promise the impossible.
A clear, repeatable process.
No surprises, no upsells. The same method every job — that's how you get the same result every time.
- 01
Survey & test patch
Free visit to identify the coating and substrate, then a discreet test patch to prove the method lifts it cleanly.
- 02
Prepare & protect
Ground, glass, planting and neighbouring surfaces protected; specialist remover selected to suit the coating.
- 03
Steam & strip
Superheated low-pressure steam and, where needed, a graffiti-specific or masonry stripper lift the coating back to the original face.
- 04
Rinse & restore
Surface rinsed and checked, brick or stone left clean and breathable — bare, or ready for an appropriate breathable finish.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions we get asked the most. If yours isn't here, drop us a line — we reply same day.
Because solid-wall properties built before cavity construction rely on breathing to stay dry. Modern masonry paint seals the surface and traps moisture inside the wall, which shows up as damp, blown render and spalling brick. Taking the coating off lets the wall dry naturally, and the original brick or stone face comes back in the process.
In most cases, yes. DOFF superheated steam lifts a lot of spray paint on its own, and a graffiti-specific remover deals with the rest at low pressure, so you avoid the scoured, over-cleaned patch that aggressive blasting leaves behind. The surface and the type of paint decide the exact method, which is why we test first.
That's the aim, and the test patch tells us before we commit. On most brick, stone and render the original face comes back sound and even. Occasionally an old coating has bonded so hard, or the surface beneath is so worn, that a full clean-back isn't realistic — we'll show you the test result and be straight about the finish you'll get.
It's often the preferred method on heritage fabric precisely because it's gentle. Low-pressure superheated steam removes coatings without the abrasion of grit-blasting, which conservation officers rightly object to on historic brick and stone. For a listed building, check whether consent is needed before the work — we're happy to work in with that.
Fixed price, in writing, guaranteedFree, no-obligation quote within 24 hours.
Send a couple of photos or book a site visit — fixed price in writing before any work starts.