What is the best way to strip paint off a basement cement block wall?

Im going to start finishing off my basement. I need to strip the old paint off the basement cement block walls so I can add a waterproofer. What is the best way to get the old paint off? It appears to be a couple layers at least. Ive tried a good paint stripper from Menards but it still isn't coming off that easy. Any suggestions? (It is NOT lead paint)





Im just looking for something that may be quicker....What is the best way to strip paint off a basement cement block wall?
I've had pretty good luck with zip strip in the past though I have never tried it on block. I would try that letting it sit for about ten minutes then hit it with a pressure washer.What is the best way to strip paint off a basement cement block wall?
The best way? or the most effective way?


The best way is to hire a stripper to come to your home and do it with a scraper tool, maybe add some steam and honey for effect.





I dnt know the most effective way, sorry.
The big problem is the little nooks and crannies in the block--stripper just won't get in there, and you'll never get the resulting gunk out. Anything you apply thereafter will just get turned into a chemical syrup by the residue, and you'll NEVER get a waterproofer to stick.You could have it sandblasted, but cleanup would be a mess, it's sort of expensive, and it will leave the block more porous than ever and TWO coats of 'proofer might not be enough. So much for attacking it obviously, from the inside.





I'd call in a foundation specialist, shut up, and see what he sez. THEN I'd ask about an attack from the OUTSIDE--excavate around the foundation and spray 'proofer on it THERE. If it has to be tar-based, so what? Who will see it? And something like a Ditch Witch can excavate in a jiffy. The floor, which is smooth, can be done from the inside, sealed, and finished with one of those epoxy finishes you can do yourself.





And at that, the main problem may come from the lot itself--it could be badly graded so that water drains TOWARD the house instead of away from it, and if your soil is mostly clay it could be aggravating things even more. So before I start screwing with the foundation I'd bring in a surveyor and then a quality landscaper to assess things--you may save money by not having to futz with the foundation at all. And the foundation work alone might not solve the problem. They can skin off the turf, stack it, and replace it when they're done,and you may need to have sand or gravel added to your new drainage field as well.





Ain't owning a home fun? Oh, and write me and let me know how things progress, the decisions you make, and how they turn out. I'd be very curious to know.