How To Remove Paint From Wood Floor?

The traditional and usual floor covering for wooden floors is regular paint. We use it to finish floorboards because it is one of the cheapest ways to decorate or refinish a floor. In the past, wooden floors were made for the conscience. So there is even no need to remove the entire old coating and replace it with a new one in some apartments during the repair. That is why  conventional wood floors are durable and reliable. But the paint on such floors wears out over time and needs refinished. But today, the owners of such floors face such a problem: if you want to change the texture or color of the wooden flooring, it will be hard to wash off the old paint. It is, of course, wiped out in some areas where there was the most traffic, but in secluded places is well preserved, as if it was applied yesterday. How to remove old paint from a wooden floor? Here are several effective ways that you can learn below.

What are the methods of getting paint off hardwood floors?

There are several ways to get paint off the wooden floor if you try to colour it. They differ from each other in technology and materials used. But in general, they are all effective. You just have to choose the suitable method for a particular case.

The most common techniques for removing paint from a floor are:

• chemical;
• thermal;
• mechanical. 

Often, chemical and mechanical methods paint the wood floor removal. More professional is the thermal option, as it allows high-quality surface cleaning. If you cannot remove the old paint with any of the above options, you should simply remove the floor itself. 

Mechanical method to remove paint from a wood floor

It is the most popular and familiar to many people, as, in general, it does not require the purchase of any special compounds and equipment. Although, depending on the capabilities and wishes of the master, you will still need some specific tools. You can use both manual and electric tools for this paint removal. The latter makes the job as fast as possible. Plus, they also provide the maximum convenience for the job. Usually, it helps to clean large areas. You can use hand-held tools for additional cleaning of hard-to-reach or for small areas.

Hand tools can be: 

• scraper; 
• metal brush (wire brush); 
• spatula; 
• sandpaper fixed on a special holder.

Electric instruments can include: 

• sander; 
• a drill with a metal brush; 
• grinder with a special attachment; 
• a scraping router.

Chemical agents used to get paint off hardwood floors 

As a rule, they are based on alkalis, acids, and all kinds of solvents. They are easy to use – you can apply them according to the instructions to the floor surface, withstand for a certain time, and then remove. Usually, it is enough to rinse the composition with water simply. Although, in some cases, you have to work with your hands after treatment with chemicals – you can remove soft and bloated paint with a spatula or scraper. 

Work with any chemicals, and wear gloves to avoid damaging the skin on your hands. To use some, you will also need a respirator. You can also try to use homemade chemical compounds to remove paint from a wood floor: 

• Wet the boards with water, sprinkle liberally with soda ash, cover with damp burlap and let it dry (about a day)
• Mix 0.4 kg of calcined soda and 1.5 kg of quicklime, dissolve with water to the consistency of thick porridge, spread on the floor and leave for 12 hours. 
• Apply liquid glass (silicate glue), then remove the dried film with paint stuck to it. Repeat several times if necessary.

The main advantage of the chemical method is that you do not need to make strong efforts to get rid of the coating. However, it is still necessary to spend money on the purchase of compositions. We can’t recommend you use these substances to remove paint from a large surface. It will be very costly financially. 

Thermal method to remove paint from the wood floor 

The thermal method is quite effective and simple but has its limitations and disadvantages. 

In this case, you need to subject the old paint coating to thermal influence. Thanks to this, the paint softens, and then is ou can easily remove it with an ordinary spatula. For heating you can use:

1. torches;
2. construction dryers;

However, it is worth remembering that using devices that create a jet of hot flame is not always safe. In closed rooms, another factor that limits the use of the thermal method comes into play: in the heating process, toxic substances are released from paints. Also, if the paint is overheated and not immediately removed from the floor surface, it will cure and be impossible to remove.

Why should you remove paint from the wood floor?

Regular paint as a finishing material is familiar to everyone. It is probably the most popular type of trim that you can use to give a finished look to floors and other surfaces.

But, just like any other coating, you need to refresh the paint periodically. For example, when there is a repair that does not involve the removal of the old floor covering, there is a need to repaint the floors or simply change the floor’s colour to match the room’s design and interior. So, the paint must be removed. Also, the removal of paint from wooden floorboards is carried out in the case of: 

• deterioration of the overall appearance of the floor; 
• peeling paint; 
• colour changes of the coating; 
• formation of stains; 
• the need to level the floor; 
• installation of tile on a wooden base.

What is necessary to do before the paint on the wood floor removal?

Different types of flooring imply various methods of paint removal. Before you remove paint from the floor, you need to decide what type of coating is in front of you to avoid ruining the coating: 

1. Floor made of wood. With such a floor, it is not particularly difficult to remove paint. But still, you need to remember that if the boards were attached to the joists with nails. It is better not to use some tools – an electric planer or a grinder because they can break.
2. Poured floor. Removing paint from a wood floor with any tool from such a surface is easy. But if during the pouring of the floor it formed small cavities, which were later filled with paint, there may be small problems. However, you can easily clean these depressions from the paint by hand.
3. Tile floors and linoleum. If you need to remove paint from such coatings, it is best to use a construction hair dryer, as there is a small risk of damaging the linoleum, tile, or tool used if you utilize other tools.

Bottom line

Getting paint off hardwood floors seems to be an easy task, but there are still some peculiarities of this type of work. For example, it is essential to follow safety procedures. Since with any method of removal, it is possible to harm the body. So, we recommend that you pre-test the chosen paint removal method on a small floor area since, in some instances, this or that method may not be effective. Also, we suggest reading more about getting rid of paint on carpets and other useful DIYs on our site. 

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