Removing plaster to expose bricks

phreaq · 09-04-2007, 10:20 AM

I have a pre 1900s school house, that I am currently renovating. The main floor room is 25' x 30' with 12' ceilings. The north facing wall has no windows and is covered with plaster, with drywall on the lower half (atop the plaster).

I took off some of the drywall, and noticed the wall is all brick, albeit covered with cement (?). The plaster seems to start about 4' from the floor, so I'm thinking of ripping off all the plaster, lathe, and mortar, and then chip away at the cement, to expose the brick. Is this going to be a bigger mess than I'm imaging (I know it'll be dusty with the walls coming down), or am I doing something I shouldn't?

Are there any issues with taking the cement off the brick face? There is currently no isulation on this wall, aside from the wall being 3 bricks deep.

I've attached a picture below that shows what I'm talking about. You'll notice the chalkboard is still there, but it's actually a part of the plaster! The chalk writing is so old it doesn't even rub off

thanks in advance,

phreaq
Has anyone seen my brain today? (^_^)
www.phreaq.net

travelover · 09-04-2007, 01:23 PM

What is your goal? If it is to expose the brick as a finished surface, removing the covering covering won't hurt structurally, but is is a tough job. It might be more practical to install drywall over it - but again it depends on your goal.

phreaq · 09-04-2007, 01:26 PM

thanks for the reply!

I want the brick as a finished surface. I was thinking of putting up brick veneer originally, but realized it made no sense to cover brick with brick.

I did chip off some of the covering, and it's somewhat old, so little taps with the hammer broke it away quiet easily (but it'll still take time)

travelover · 09-04-2007, 01:41 PM

Go for it. You may find that the entire wall is not uniform due to prior repairs, changes, etc., but you have a back up with brick veneer or other options.

PS. The "structure" of the wall is the three rows of bricks, unlike modern homes where the brick is only a facade covering the wood frame, which is the structural portion.