Whats the best way to remove silicone sealent...

[Byker28i]

from an outside wall.

New conservatory is smaller than the old one and there's traces of silicone and plaster left on the wall. Plaster seems to come off OK with the pressure washer but I need to remove the line of silicone


Will silicone remover treatment work ok? Any issues against the red brick. Any recommendations, runny vs thick and does it soften it then scrape, or disolve it?
Could I use a heat gun?
Any other suggestions?

[shtu]

My slight concern would be using a silicone remover that softens/melts the silicone, when you have a porous surface like brick as the backing.

I'd cut off as much as possible, then try a wire brush and see what it looks like.

You'll probably never get it perfect, and be relying on the brisk weathering over time.

[Byker28i]

Tried wire brushing, not great, might have to try something mechanical powered.

We've cut most of it off but it has left unsightly lines with the remaining bits. Paint stripping hot gun does nothing

[zb]

I've had excellent luck removing silicone with MultiSolve.

https://www.ct1.com/products/multisolve-2/

Do let it work though, easy to get impatient and go at it too early.

[JoshSm]

There are silicone removers that make it swell & detach using alcohol, there are better ones that use a specific acid to denature it. The alcohol ones aren't great, the others take time and £££.

Ideally use a very sharp blade and cut it flush to the surface as a starting point.

The stuff is heat resistant so a hot air gun won't touch it, it needs to get above 450C. An actual blow torch (like a nice MAP powered plumbers ones) will cook it into silicon dioxide (quartz sand!), no byproducts from doing that but your new building will need shielding from accidental cooking. Not a technique for most surfaces but on brick maybe it'd work if not overdone to the point of cooking the brick.


Wire brush maybe but silicone is flexible and brick not, usually the brick suffers long before the silicone comes off.

[Aluminati]

Rothenburger.

Had to do it recently when our dopey scaffolder siliconed sheets against a wall .

[Skyedriver]

JoshSm said:

Wire brush maybe but silicone is flexible and brick not, usually the brick suffers long before the silicone comes off.

^^this^^

[Byker28i]

Thanks all. Tried some screwfix no nonsense silicone dissolver, then a pressure washer to get the plaster off as well.
It's better but probably needs multiple goes. It's all been trimmed off but there's a thin waterproof layer left.

[JoshSm]

Aluminati said:

Rothenburger.

Had to do it recently when our dopey scaffolder siliconed sheets against a wall .

Super Fire 2? Cooking with MAP cures most problems.