# Removing Ivy



## Doug Dahlke (Jun 14, 2008)

Been awhile since I was here. Tried the search function but wasn't seeing anything related. How do you remove ivy tendrils from stucco. The only answers I am getting say use a stiff brush and try to scrub it off. We start on a stucco house next week and there is ivy on a couple of places. Picture attached. Thanks.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

why worry about removing it, since its gonna grow back anyway


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## BrushJockey (Mar 15, 2009)

The dreaded Ivy footies! 3m has nothing on the holding power of those bastids! I wish you luck!


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## BC_Painter (Feb 14, 2010)

I tell my customers that it will never work clean, and the absolute fortune they'd spend to ensure they're all gone would be better spent on new stucco.

That being said, once they get a good scrub with a wire brush ( can still be a couple days depending on size of product and amount of ivy ) Usually painting the stucco will hide most of the evidence, and it will look pretty good for mush less money.

The ivy will likely grow back over it anyways so it's almost a moot point, but it's done me many successful jobs since I've started encountering it on this side of the rockies:thumbsup:


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

I mean, just tell them its an extra $2,000 or whatever for complete removal, or a lower price for a quick removal and repainting over some remains of the detritus.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Clear expectations with your customer are paramount. You will never get *all *of it off. If you are painting, _some_ always shows through the finish. 

You can paint, with the understanding with your customer that some of it will still be visiable. Or you can re-stucco and cover it completely.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

I think it has a nice pattern.


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## brushmonkey (Jan 4, 2010)

You could tell the client its the latest rage in exteriors called 'Ivy Faux Texturing' & charge double..:laughing: Just kidding. Maybe call a garden supply store or a landscaping company & see what they recommend to loosen that plant superglue.


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

It seems like years ago I used a spray on product.....I'm pretty sure I applied through a pump garden sprayer....that loosened the ivy and then I scrubbed 90% off. Sorry, CRS so I don't recall the name.


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## boman47k (May 10, 2008)

I have this to deal with, unless I can sell this old house and lot. I am told it is called cow itch. I cut it at the ground and sprayed with a garden sprayer. I did get a few rash spots butno itch. This on old asphalt shingle sideing on this side of the house. Maybe you can see it goes all the way up the weatherhead and onto the power lines. 
I hope I have at least stalled its growth. There is not near as much green as it was last year when I bought it.

I noticed this pic looks like it was taken before the green growth had a chance to grow back this year. The regrowth had started back when I sprayed.

The old shiplap is still under the shingle siding. The shingle siding will come off at some point, and the house will be resided if the lap siding cannot be salvaged. I just don't want to deal with this cow itch until I feel I can do it without breaking out all over.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

boman47k said:


> I have this to deal with, unless I can sell this old house and lot. I am told it is called cow itch. I cut it at the ground and sprayed with a garden sprayer. I did get a few rash spots butno itch. This on old asphalt shingle sideing on this side of the house. Maybe you can see it goes all the way up the weatherhead and onto the power lines.
> I hope I have at least stalled its growth. There is not near as much green as it was last year when I bought it.
> 
> I noticed this pic looks like it was taken before the green growth had a chance to grow back this year. The regrowth had started back when I sprayed.
> ...


Wear long sleeves and gloves, or, hire some kids looking for work this summer.


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## boman47k (May 10, 2008)

I was up there a few weeks ago and was trying to get a good look at the lines going in the weatherhead. It still has some regrowth on it, but it had not rained for few days at the time. When I got closer to try to look up through the growth, a drip of water landed right in my eye. I shut that eye tight, held it shut, and went home to rinse it fearing I would have some adverse reaction since it came off this cow itch.

Not sure I would want to expose someone else to it unless they adults and aware of possible problems.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

boman47k said:


> I was up there a few weeks ago and was trying to get a good look at the lines going in the weatherhead. It still has some regrowth on it, but it had not rained for few days at the time. When I got closer to try to look up through the growth, a drip of water landed right in my eye. I shut that eye tight, held it shut, and went home to rinse it fearing I would have some adverse reaction since it came off this cow itch.
> 
> Not sure I would want to expose someone else to it unless they adults and aware of possible problems.


Touche


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## Doug Dahlke (Jun 14, 2008)

Appreciate all the input on this. I did talk to a restoration chem supplier about this and they said a caustic cleaner would take it off but would damage the stucco. We start on this next week. I'll let you know how it goes.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

boman47k said:


> I was up there a few weeks ago and was trying to get a good look at the lines going in the weatherhead. It still has some regrowth on it, but it had not rained for few days at the time. When I got closer to try to look up through the growth, a drip of water landed right in my eye. I shut that eye tight, held it shut, and went home to rinse it fearing I would have some adverse reaction since it came off this cow itch.
> 
> Not sure I would want to expose someone else to it unless they adults and aware of possible problems.


chemical goggles dude.


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## boman47k (May 10, 2008)

If Iha any idea I would be looking up through this stuff that close, at that angle, and had any thought there might be some moisture on it, I would definitely have been wearing some kind of eye protection. 

Good idea if I mess with it again. :thumbsup:


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## Doug Dahlke (Jun 14, 2008)

Had some weather related issues with this one but finally got it done. Here is a pic of the finished wall. You can still see a small bit of the vine but we got about 95% of it off.


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## BC_Painter (Feb 14, 2010)

Doug Dahlke said:


> Had some weather related issues with this one but finally got it done. Here is a pic of the finished wall. You can still see a small bit of the vine but we got about 95% of it off.


I'd like to know how many people have NOT had rain issues lately, it's friggin ridiculous. Especially since I'm doing 99% exterior work atm.


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## brushmonkey (Jan 4, 2010)

Turned out nice! :thumbsup:


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

BC_Painter said:


> I'd like to know how many people have NOT had rain issues lately, it's friggin ridiculous. Especially since I'm doing 99% exterior work atm.


Same here. My exterior schedule has been, _"interesting" _lately......


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## BC_Painter (Feb 14, 2010)

Oh yeah, stucco looks a whole lot better, hope you made some money :thumbsup:


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Doug Dahlke said:


> Had some weather related issues with this one but finally got it done. Here is a pic of the finished wall. You can still see a small bit of the vine but we got about 95% of it off.


Looks a lot better. :thumbsup: 
What did you end up doing to it?

I don't know if it is just the picture or the angle but it looks like a little bit of blue on the window casing.


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## boman47k (May 10, 2008)

Looks good in the picture. How did you do it?

Ha, work beat me to it. My time stamp is off here.


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## Doug Dahlke (Jun 14, 2008)

I used a drill with a fine brass wire brush for most of it. It came off pretty quickly. There was another spot on the garage side of the house where the vine was as thick as my thumb. Hit that with a more coarse brush and had to do some patching. The stuff had grown into the stucco an eigth of an inch or so.


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## painterman (Jun 2, 2007)

Hand held propane torch run over the vines very quickly and then wire brush will take the "feet" off .


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