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We have all felt the frustration of wanting to remove paint from floorboards. While painting them may seem like a great idea at the time, often we will end up regretting this decision.
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However, there are instances where painted wooden floors cannot be avoided, especially if you have recently moved into a property, and the previous owners have painted the floorboards.
You will be relieved to know that it is possible to remove paint from floorboards. While it will take some time and work to do so, it is possible. How you will remove this paint can vary depending on the type of flooring you have.
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To help you with this process, here are some of our top tips that will help to remove as much of the paint as possible:
Scraping Off The Paint
Before you use any paint removers, the first thing you will want to do is manually remove as much paint from the floorboards as possible. While this can be achieved in a number of different ways, we would recommend using a bladed tool, such as a knife.
If you want to soften the paint before doing this, you can use a heat gun. However, this can cause the process to become a little messy. While it will help the process along, this is worth taking into consideration.
You will want to attempt to scrape as much of the paint from the floorboards off as possible. As you are using a knife, while you want to be thorough, you do not want to scrape the floorboards too deeply. A putty knife is the best option to use.
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If you scrape too hard, you can cause damage to the floorboards. Instead, you will want to focus on scraping the top of the floorboards, rather than digging into them. Alternatively, you can choose to use a plastic knife if you are wary about causing damage.
If you are applying enough pressure, you should begin to notice that the paint will start to lift, though some paint is easier to remove than others. The scratching of the surface should provide you with some success.
While this is fairly time consuming, it is one of the best methods. Even so, you will likely have some leftover paint of the hardwood after doing this.
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Denatured Alcohol
If the leftover paint is patchy and noticeable, you will want to use denatured alcohol to remove it. This is fairly inexpensive to purchase, and it is typically successful in removing the remainder of the paint.
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The denatured alcohol works by liquifying the paint. In order to remove the paint, we would recommend placing a small amount on to a cloth and rubbing this on the remaining areas.
The alcohol will work fairly quickly once it has been applied. Given this, it is important to not use too much of it as this can potentially damage the wood. Once it has worked, you will want to wipe the floorboards down fully and any remainder of paint should be removed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How do you remove dried latex paint from hardwood floors?
When it comes to latex paint, this can be more difficult to remove than regular paint. Given this, it may require more time and attention to get rid of completely. However, you will still need to use a similar process to remove the paint.
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As with regular paint, there are a few different methods that can be used. To begin with, you will want to scrape as much of the paint from the hardwood floor as possible before using any solvents. With the paint that is left over after doing this, there are a few different solvents you can use.
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Latex Paint Remover
Latex paint remover is probably one of the easiest ways to remove latex paint from hardwood floors. It does as the name suggests, and it is particularly great at removing paint that is in harder to reach areas or gaps.
To use latex paint remover, you will want to take care and only use a small amount. You will want to place a small amount onto a cloth and rub this over the paint. It will begin to work quickly on the vast majority of latex paints, and should help to remove any paint residue.
However, when it comes to paint that contains oil, it is not always the best option to use. Given this, there are other options that are better to use.
Rubbing Alcohol
This will work similarly to denatured alcohol. As it is strong, you will only want to use a small amount to avoid damaging the hardwood floor. In addition to this, it is likely that you will have to rub this in, to help break down the paint.
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Scraping
If you have tried all the above methods on the hardwood floor, and they have not been fully successful, there are two options you can take. The first will be to change the flooring, though this is an expensive option.
The second is to scrape off small sections of the hardwood. This is far from ideal, but it will remove the remainder of the paint. However, you will have to buff the remainder of the floor, and you will have to seal the hardwood again.
Summary
We hope that you have found this article helpful. As you can see, if there is paint on your regular, or hardwood floor, all is not lost. There are a handful of things you can do to ensure that the paint comes off fully.
While all of these methods do require a lot of time and patience, they will leave you with the original flooring you desire. Given this, it is worth persevering.
The most important thing to remember is to remove the paint as carefully as possible, and always take care when using solvents and alcohol. The more careful you are, the better condition the floor will be once you have finished removing the paint.
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