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Define the trial before authorizing full removal
Ask a masonry preservation professional to choose a representative, discreet area. Record the starting finish, existing chips, sound mortar and previous repairs with dated photographs. Make clear whether the goal is a clean bare surface, a repaintable surface, or simply identifying what lies underneath. Each calls for a different stopping point.
Inspect the sample after it dries
View the sample both close up where safely accessible and from the ground in normal daylight. Look for lost brick texture, roughened joint edges, a patchy color change or residues. Ask what the sample reveals about older repairs. A wet sample can disguise color and surface differences that will remain obvious once the masonry dries.
Agree on conditions for continuing
The National Park Service recommends testing cleaning methods and selecting the gentlest effective approach for historic masonry. Ask how adjacent surfaces, runoff and the original brick face will be protected and when work would stop if another area responds differently. Do not use a ladder, improvised solvent or abrasive blasting to create your own rooftop test. If acceptable removal is unrealistic, discuss retaining an appropriate existing finish.