Photo: Jolie Novak, AOL
Dried drips of paint are hard to avoid; it seems we've all got a few of these unsightly blemishes on our hardwood floors. Ideally, we'd catch all stray spots and splatters during the painting process and wipe them up while they're wet, but few paint jobs are that tidy. Luckily, dried paint
can be removed from wood floors without damaging the floor's finish.
First, try to slide
a very sharp blade underneath the drips. Opt for a
craft knife,
utility knife or very sharp kitchen knife. (
Don't use a putty knife; it's way too blunt for the job.) Be extremely gentle, so as not to damage the wood. You may find that the drips pop right off with a little careful leverage.
Photo: Getty images
No luck? Try this:
If it's latex paint you're dealing with, you may be able to soften things up by pouring some
hot soapy water on the affected spot. Leave the area covered to soak for a while. Then rub with a cloth, scrape with your fingernail or try the blade again. Hopefully this time things will start to come loose.
Still won't budge? Time for the hot air solution: simply
warm the dots of paint with a hair dryer. This may make them
soft enough to be peeled up. Make sure keep the dryer on a low-air, high-heat setting and be patient about giving the heat time to work.
If you tried all of that without success, it might be time to crack out the
chemicals. Try dabbing each drop of paint with a little
rubbing alcohol or
acetone nail polish remover. You might also try a latex paint remover like
Lift Off or an all-purpose remover like
Goof Off.
If you go this route, use a Q-tip and be very cautious. Your goal is to soften the paint just enough that small drips can be popped loose. Use too much and you risk damaging your floor's glossy finish. The last thing you want to do is solve one problem while creating another.
Got any other tips for removing dried paint from wood floors? Comment below!
SEE ALSO:
How to Recycle Paint Cans
Paint Estimate Calculators
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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)
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ReplyI've used the hairdryer method and it worked really well.
ReplyThere is a product line called Krud Kutter available in the Walmart paint area, Home depot and Lowe's. I once found a whole gallon of grey primer spilled on a concrete floor. Once I got the mess of it lifted up, Krud Kutter removed every single spot - the paint dissolves. Great stuff!
ReplyI thought this was about Tiger.
ReplyI suppose this is obvious, but why not just tape down a drop cloth before painting?
ReplyBecause sometimes the drop cloth tape doesn't stick causing an unnoticed shift while you work, sometimes kids/animals will get into things (gasp), sometimes the paint tape allows dripped paint to seep underneath it.
Hand sanitizers, like Purel, contain alcohol. This works great on removing acrylic paint, not only from hard surfaces but also clothing!
Replydenatured alcohol removes dried latex (water base) paint
Replylacquer thinner removes dried oil based paint
just a little bit on a rag and rub until it is lifted off surface
Try Goof-Off first. We use this in commercial construction all the time. It will not damage any of your surfaces.
ReplyBe very careful with the lacquer thinner and especially the acetone.
The blade works best if the Goof-Off can't cut it. Try a single edged razor blade. You can get a holder for it. This allows you to keep a tighter angle to the floor. Also, spray some Windex or other window cleaner on and around the spot before you use the blade. It will lubricate the floor so the blade will be less likely to catch or scratch the floor finish.
winni2078 08 21
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