Perhaps one of the best feelings in the world is walking into a freshly painted room and enjoying the new color that you picked out, on your wall. However, perhaps one of the worst feelings in the world is finding paint, dried or not, on your nice
wooden floor.
But don’t panic! We’ve got you covered, with these three ways to remove paint from wooden floors.
Method One: Using Paint Thinner
Materials Needed:
- Paint thinner
- Old rag
Pour some paint thinner onto the old rag, and begin scrubbing the dried paint off with the soaked rag. This may take some time and elbow grease. This is perhaps one of the simplest methods of removing paint from wooden floors. There are many types of paint, and many ways to remove different types of paint.
Some of these methods involve using chemicals or sharp tools to pry the paint off of the wooden floors.
Method Two: Non-Toxic Methods
Materials Needed:
- Rubbing alcohol
- Lemon juice
- Dish detergent
- Blade tool/ razor
- Rags
- Non-abrasive nylon-bristled brush
- Denatured alcohol
Take the blade tool or razor and try to scrape the paint off of the wooden floor. If that does not work, or little fragments of the paint are left, move on to this concoction. Mix one part lemon juice with two parts of rubbing alcohol. Pour the mixture onto the paint and let the paint sit until it soaks up the liquid. Use the nylon scrubby brush to loosen the paint from the floor. If you do not have a nylon brush, use a toothbrush instead. Use a rag to wipe up the loose bits of latex paint. Repeat this process until the floor is clear of paint.
Method Three: Using Chemicals to Remove Latex Paint:
Materials Needed:
- A degreaser (such as Goo Gone)
- Heat gun
- Putty knife
- Hammer
- Pull scraper
- Scouring pad
- Steel wool
If, after repeated attempts of the non-toxic method, paint is still stuck to the floor, it is time to start using chemicals. Spray the denatured alcohol onto the latex paint, and rub the alcohol into the paint using a rag. Using another wet rag, wipe up the loosened bits of paint. No more tough stains!
How to Remove Spray Paint from Wooden Floors:
This method is for accidental flyaway drops of spray- or the not so accidental graffiti. This method of removal is simple, but takes a little time and patience. Use a razor or blade tool to scrape as much paint up from the wood as possible. Spray the paint with the lemon and alcohol mixture onto the floor. Using the nylon brush or the toothbrush, scrub away at the paint. Once done, use a rag to wipe up the remaining paint.
If that doesn’t work, consider using a commercial paint remover. One of the benefits of these removers is that they are designed not to hurt the surface of the paint. To use the paint remover, apply a small amount with a rag to the stain, and let sit for a while. Once the paint remover has been soaked up, use a clean rag to wipe up the paint with. Make sure to wipe up any remaining paint remover as well. Sometimes, for tough spray paint stains, more is needed. Take a non-abrasive brush, and strip away the stain by scrubbing at it.
How to Remove Paint without Damaging the Wood Finish
Materials Needed:
- Hair Dryer
- Paint scraper
Use the hair dryer to soften the paint. Once softened, use the paint scraper to gently scrape up the paint from the floor, being careful not to scratch the floors with the paint scraper.
For the Chemical Method:
Materials Needed:
- Paint remover
- Pull scraper
Put a small amount of paint remover onto the stain and let it soak into the stain. Once soaked in, use a pull scraper to scrape up the paint. If you did any damage to the floor using the pull scraper, go back and touch it up with the stain. Now it looks brand new!
How to Remove Dried Paint from a Wooden Floor:
Materials Needed:
- Heat gun
- Linseed Oil
For the Linseed oil method, pour a small amount of linseed oil onto a rag, and wipe it onto the stain. Wipe away the stain with the oil and a putty knife. For the Heat gun method, use the heat gun to separate the dried paint from the wood. Now use the heat gun to strip away the paint from the floor. To do this, put the heat gun at about a 45 degree angle, and use low heat, away from the floor. The heat gun should never make direct contact with the floor, or the floor may scorch. The paint should begin to bubble up. Once the paint bubbles up, use a paint scraper to peel away at the sheet of paint. Use a razor or blade tool to pick at any remaining bits of paint. Once all the paint is gone, wash the floors with soap and water.
How to Remove Paint from a Laminate Wood Floor:
Materials Needed:
- Soap and water
- Vacuum cleaner
- An acetone based cleaner
- Rag
Clean the laminate floor with soap and water, and allow it to dry. Next, use a vacuum cleaner to vacuum the area where you want to remove the paint. This ensures that no dirt or debris is in the way of the paint. Now that the floor is clean, apply the acetone based cleaner onto the paint stain, and allow it to permeate the stain. Once the paint has soaked in the remover, use a rag to wipe it up. If the paint doesn’t all come up, repeat the process until the paint stain is gone.
Some Helpful Tips:
- Always, always wipe up the paint before it dries
- Use household items, if you can, such as a hairdryer before a heat gun, or a toothbrush instead of a nylon brush, or a straight edge (such as a butter knife, or a credit card) instead of a paint scraper.