Removing English Ivy From Exterior Of House
Ask the Expert: removing English Ivy from inside walls?
My 5-year old English Ivy plant died (I drowned it!), and I removed it's vines from my walls. It had grown up, and along 2 interior walls, around some windows, and across some shutters. As I was removing the vines, some of the "feet" (mini-roots) stayed behind. How do I get these off the painted walls and the painted wooden shutters without ruining the paint? Jean
October 24th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Jean,
Removing the remnants of English Ivy is not an easy task. I consulted a professional painter who told me that there is not a good way to remove the English Ivy fuzzes without removing the paint. He suggested leaving the remains until you repaint the wall or window sill and then they can be removed with a wire brush. However, on a brick wall, he found that a heat gun works well and does not compromise the brick.