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bookoocash t1_ithdeje wrote

Appreciate you going for painting rather than removing. Formstone is a finite thing and once it’s gone, it’s gone. If it’s crumbling then I understand removing it, but it’s a thing that is unique to Baltimore and a few other cities/areas and I feel like we should try to preserve when reasonable.

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ThisAmericanSatire OP t1_ithg0c3 wrote

I would prefer to have bare brick, because that's just a classic look, but I think trying to remove formstone would be an expensive hassle and could quickly become a nightmare if there's issues restoring the brick.

And... as much as I love red brick, I think formstone looks pretty sweet with the right paint scheme. It definitely adds character to the neighborhood to see a few houses in vibrant colors rather than just endless brick.

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wbruce098 t1_ithm3t7 wrote

Agreed! I definitely didn’t want a formstone house when I bought last year, but it’s what I found (almost every other box checked). And there’s a smattering of absolutely gorgeously repainted formstone homes here and there, so I plan on adding mine into the mix someday! Now that I have some idea of the cost (thanks, u/DryLipCoyote!) I know what to save for. Next step is easy: picking out fun, vibrant colors.

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Cicada17 t1_itj1t6l wrote

To add to that, if there is lead-based paint underneath, that’s another layer of complexity (and cost) you’ll need to deal with. Personally the painted formstone looks fine.

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Bonethug609 t1_ithr8ym wrote

Formstone looks like shit. The brick on my House is from 1870. I would much rather we preserve original Baltimore architecture than some formstone.

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DfcukinLite t1_itlo088 wrote

Yes it does. Painted or not it looks like cheap shit. Anyone who isn’t a cheap shit with bad taste gets rid of it. It’s like a plastic slipcover on a $300 couch.

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Bonethug609 t1_itmqzed wrote

and hope that when you remove the formstone the brick isn’t it in bad shape underneath.

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