The removal of paint on the brick at the Lisbon History Center remains under investigation.
The center had applied one application of a paint stripper in early May.
According to city administrator Brandon Siggins, Bi-State Masonry indicated the temperatures did not impact the removal process, that it is just hard knowing how many layers of paint have been applied to the brick previously.
David Abrogast, a masonry expert, met Monday, May 23, where he conducted an inspection of the bricks on the building.
Abrogast’s inspection noted there are a number of cracks in the wall, with the most significant at the north end. There are very few bricks which have seriously failed compared to the age of the building and need to be replaced.
Abrogast noted the bricks are very soft, and once the paint is removed, that could allow moisture to infiltrate the brick and cause spalling. Spalling is the process of water infiltrating a brick and going through a freeze and thaw cycle. This causes bricks to crumble or flake away from the body of the brick. The recent acrylic paint application has trapped some moisture in these bricks over the years.
The removal of the lead paint, if the choice is not to encapsulate the wall with another coat of paint, needs to be completed. Any loose and peeling paint should still be removed prior to any repainting.
Abrogast recommends an oxsilayne water repellant be applied after paint is removed to inhibit water infiltration from the exterior of the building to reduce spalling or damage.
Rebecca Hess said the next steps are to try a smaller batch of stripper in certain areas of the brick to see which would work best to get paint off, and then work to apply that to the rest of the brick.
The estimated costs of repairs to the walls, not accounting for another application of stripper, amounts to $64,000 for fixes to the bricks and $15,000 for the oxsilayne sealant.
Council members Sara Nost and Mike Williams noted their concern that continuing the project could be a money pit for the city, as they are still not sure how much paint thinner needs to be applied to get the remaining lead paint removed.
Mayor Doug O’Connor encouraged Hess and the commission to continue investigating best options to remove paint and report back to the council in the next month.