Removing Paint From Wood Flooring

If you are faced with the challenge of removing paint from wood flooring, the likelihood is that you’ve either had a spill or you’re renovating an old floor.  In some ways, a spill is easier to tackle than removing paint from wood flooring you’re in the process of renovating.  “Why?” I hear you ask.  If you’re in the unfortunate situation of having to clean up a paint spill, at least you will know what type of paint you’re dealing with.  In a renovation situation, it’s often a case of trial and error.

One of the most important factors to take into account when removing paint from wood flooring is the determination of what type of paint you’re dealing with.  The paint might be water-based, oil-based or latex paint and the way you tackle its removal will depend on the make up of the paint.

If you know that your paint spill is water or latex based and if it’s still wet, then a damp cloth should do the trick nicely, leaving you with a good result.  That said, if the paint has dried, you’ll probably need to tackle the spill with really hot, even boiling water and a cloth.  Dabbing the paint with the hot, wet cloth will help moisten and soften the paint.  Once the paint has the appearance of being “liquid” again, you’ll need to tackle it with a bit of vigour, rubbing it with the hot, wet cloth to remove the paint.  In a worst-case scenario, where you have a water or latex based paint stain which you know to be old, you may need to attack the stain with a hot, wet scrubber and a sponge.  A top tip here is to apply a little touch of vegetable oil to the scrubber before starting the job because this will help reduce possible damage, including scratching and dulling of the surface.

If your paint spill or stain is oil based, and still wet, the appropriate thinner for the paint you’ve been using should do the trick.  The bad news is that oil based paint spills that have been allowed to dry are virtually impossible to shift without damaging the floor’s finishing.  Where you are faced with a dried-in oil paint spill, you really only have the choice of scraping or using a chemical (such as nail polish remover: acetone), both of which will remove the top layer of your floor’s covering.  If you choose to scrape the paint off, you’ll effectively end up scratching the surface away and if you use acetone (eg.  nail polish remover), you’ll lift the lacquer off, both of which will leave you with patches of floor that need to be touched up afterwards.  You’ll find help to repair these patches.

In extreme cases, paint spills, whether water, oil or latex based might call for a complete re-sand and re-seal.