The simplest Way to Get Dried Paint Away of Hardwood Floors

The best time to remove paint from a floor is when it’s still moist; once the paint has dried, then you’ve got to either scrape it or dissolve it with a solvent. Oil-based paint is far more difficult to remove than latex as it’s harder, and the solvents that dissolve it can damage the floor finish. Whether the paint is water- or oil-based, it’s best to try other removal methods before you resort to solvents.

Scrape Hardened Paint

Paint that has not completely cured is usually soft enough to scrape off the floor. A stiff plastic putty knife is your best tool to use for your own job; you can tap it with a hammer to break up hardened paint with no fear of damaging the floor finish. If the paint has settled to the gap between a set of boards, use a pull scraper to gently remove it in the side of each plank. You can also utilize the corner of this pull scraper to remove paint from wood grain depressions.

Insert Some Heat

Some kinds of paint, like striped gloss tooth, heal to such a tricky consistency you may have trouble removing them with a plastic scraper. Instead of graduating into your knife, which may scratch the end, try warming the paint with a hair dryer. Put the dryer on maximum heat and wait about 3 inches in the paint to get 10 to 20 seconds. After removing the heat, then you’ll probably find that the scrapes away more readily. Avoid more powerful sources of heat, like heat guns; they can damage the finish.

Rub with a Solvent

Another way to get paint out of crevices is to rub it with a solvent, provided that you use the appropriate one. Latex paint remover is the ideal solvent for removing latex paint, but it won’t work on oil-based paint. Several solvents will remove oil-based paint, however, mineral spirits is the strongest one you can safely use on hardwood, and you should use it sparingly. Dampen a rag, dab the floor and touch the end. If the feels fragile, stop using the arc and downgrade to rubbing alcohol, which will most likely be effective with some elbow grease.

Extreme Steps

Thin splotches of paint that have melded with the end inside the grain are the toughest to remove, and you may be unable to perform it without scraping off a few finish. If it comes to this, the very best way to remove the end is to utilize a pull scraper, running it along the grain to remove a thin layer. After all the paint is gone, spread a touch-up layer of finish over the affected area with a rag or paintbrush. If you scraped carefully enough to avoid exposing the timber, the fix won’t be noticeable when the finish dries.

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