Conservation professionals like Mr. Culbreth generally dislike paint over masonry surfaces because it can trap moisture.

The paint that has survived the test of time most likely contains lead which keeps it strongly adhered to the masonry surface.

"Hard masonry surfaces provide a less sympathetic background for paintings than fabric-covered or plaster walls," she writes.

While this may seem like an ideal tool for removing paint from a masonry surfaces, it has a serious downside.

A. All paint stores sell deck paints (also called floor paints) made for masonry surfaces.

Tap the shields into place with a hammer until they are flush with or just below the masonry surface.

He preferred plain masonry surfaces He wanted the freestanding column to resume its structural role.

Furring a wall or ceiling that is attached to a wooden framework differs from furring a masonry surface.

For hard masonry surfaces such as brick, stone, and concrete the same principles apply, although execution can be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

On these masonry surfaces, decades-old commercial advertising is a fading chronicle of changing habits of consumption, speculation and mercantile invention.