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Found
hardwood under the carpet? Chances are good previous
owners didn't care about protecting the floor when
some painting chores were done. The result became a
collage of assorted
paint drippings and splatters
all over the place, not to mention a few spills and
paint can rim marks.
What's
The Easy Fix To Remove Paint?
It
depends on what you're trying to achieve and the
scope of the mess. For minor problems mineral
spirits and fine steel wool pads can be used along with a
plastic scraper. In most cases however a
professional should be called in to completely
refinish the floor. You may feel you have the talent
to handle it yourself but what often happens is many
folks doing it themselves tend to work on problem areas too much when
using sanding equipment. They often don't realize
the damage until it's too late, providing they're
trying to bring back a pristine looking floor
without the character.
Old
Floors
Older
floors are likely to have the paint penetrating what
finish may be left on the surface. In other words
the paint has reached the pores of the hardwood.
Easy fixes are out of the question. The hardwood
will have to be sanded down to a consistent bare
wood appearance.
New
Hardwood Floors
With
newer floors corrective actions are easier, due to
the slickness of the finish. In other words, paint
can be removed much easier as chances are good
nothing has seeped into the pores themselves. Common
with floors with higher gloss levels. Conversely
ones that exhibit the grain feel and appearance may
trap some paint. The light use of a nylon bristle
brush (tooth brushes work too) working the area with
a minimal amount of water will often eliminate the
residue. Wipe dry immediately. |
