Hi Everyone,
While painting my daughter’s bedroom and having a bit of a disagreement on what color to use on what wall (she’s a fourteen year old that always wants the opposite) I bracket-up and tripped over an open can of latex paint and fell on my a**. What a mess! Paint went allover the floor, anyway after we stopped laughing we cleaned up everything right away and finished the room. A couple of days later while moving furniture we notice several spots of dry paint on the floor that apparently we missed. Anybody have a good way of removing latex paint of hardwood floor? The floors where just refinished and don’t want to try anything until I’m sure no damage will occur.
Thanks in advance,
Rick
Replies
Well, the very first thing I'd try is a pot scrubber designed for teflon - there's a good chance that the latext didn't bond to the floor finish and can be burnished away.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
A cloth dampened with Goof-Off or naphtha should work for you and both are readily available at hardware or paint stores. Just to be on the safe side, do a small spot test on the floor finish in an inconspicuous place like a closet or deep in a corner of the room.
Rick,
Acetone. Some nail polish removers contain acetone.
KK
The pot scrubber is a good idea, also try a plastic putty knife, or even an ordinary plastic spoon. Since this is latex and fairly new, put wads of wet paper towel on top of the spots. The idea is to get the latex as wet as possible without getting water on the surrounding floor finish. What doesn't scrape up easily at first will come off better after it's been wet for a while, say 10 - 30 minutes or more.
Stay away from acetone and other organic solvents at first, as they may very well dissolve the floor finish. If water and plastic don't get the whole job done, then test the goof-off.
-- J.S.
Oh, good one, I forgot the plastic spoon trick - I'm told it works really well with a little black coffee (like 1/2" left in the bottom of a cup) as a softener. I've also seen the cleanup guys save vinegar packets from the take-away to use with a plastic spoon to clean up dripped latex caulking or paint..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
I realize you're north of the border, but what kind of take out place gives away vinegar packets?
That I know of: Harvey's, Swiss Challet, McDonalds, Wendy's, A&W, Taco Bell, KFC, most fish & chip shops, N.Y. Fries, Burger King - just about anywhere that sells french fries. It's a little plastic pouch with about 1/2 tsp of vinegar in it..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
Never seen it. I can understand the fish joints, but McD's? For fries?
Ya. Fries.Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.
I recall my first visit to Poughkeepsie and the fact they were so surprised that anyone would use vinegar on their fries. Of course, I was equally surprised that they served a Whiskey Sour in a highball glass filled with ice-cubes. There are regional differences..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
it's an english thing... and a new england thing...heck , ain't you never heard of fish & chips , willis ?..... vinegar sprinkled on lots of french fried foods...
you oughta see the waitresses gather around in the south when you order vinegar with your french fries... they usually bring it out in a dish or a cup... and then hang around to see what you're gonna do with itMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
No wonder you New Englander's all walk around with puckered lips!
It's a Canadian thing. IT ACTUALLY TASTES GOOD!!!! GO FLYERS!!!!!
Apple cider vinegar is the best on fries. Never base your happiness on a Philadelphia sports team
Baseboard been VERRRY good to me
Hey RICKL,..............I worked as a punchout man for a builder here in Charlotte for a year after I moved here and we used denatured alcohol to remove latex paint from finisned hardwood floors......works great with little effort and doesn't disturb the finish.
InTheCleftOfHisHand.................ford
anybody elses ears hurt?.
Excellence is its own reward!
What? What did you say?I'm all here....... 'cause I'm not all there!
Thanks guys it worked! I started with a pot scrubber designed for Teflon and a plastic putty knife after letting wet paper towels sit on the spots for about twenty minutes and most of the paint came off. For the rest I used Goof-Off and no trace was left or damage.
Thanks again,
Rick