Asked on Oct 12, 2019

How can I remove old paint from a tiled floor?

Cate Spalding
by Cate Spalding

Does anyone have tips on how to remove paint from tile and how to clean the tiles while I'm at it? Thank you

  8 answers
  • Kelli L. Milligan Kelli L. Milligan on Oct 12, 2019

    Beautiful. Use a little paint stripper and a plastic putty knife. To clean old tile spray with Tilex lei it sit for several hours. Keep it wet by adding more spray. Use soft scrub with bleach and a stiff scrub brush. Note they both have bleach so wear gloves and old clothes. Once cleaned rinse thoroughly. Let dry a few days the apply tile / grout sealer. Will look great. I do a lot of historic renovations. This always works for me.

  • Emily Emily on Oct 12, 2019

    What a beautiful floor. Sounds like Kelli knows what she is talking about and I would have recommended paint remover too. That may be enough. (cleaned off of course)

  • Wow, stunning floor. Paint stripper for sure

  • Seth Seth on Oct 12, 2019

    Cate,

    Test the paint stripper first on an area you can't see. If the tiles are glazed, the stripper can affect the finish. Apply the stripper to a cloth and and not directly to the tile if you think it might harm it. Stiff bristled brushes can also scratch the surface so test that as well. If you have a heat gun or hair dryer, you can heat it up just enough to scrape off the thick stuff before applying any chemicals.

  • William William on Oct 12, 2019

    Use something plastic to scrape off as much as you can. Use OOPS or Goof off to remove the residue. Be careful with paint stripper and the kind you use. It can strip the the glazing or etch it. Tilex can affect the grout. Try small areas first.

  • Ann Edmondson Ann Edmondson on Oct 12, 2019

    I have used just plain Pine Sol. But just as others have stated be sure to test in an inconspicuous place. Pour on full strength, let sit 15 minutes, use plastic scraper (can get these from dollar stores) to see if it removed paint. When done be sure to use a tile sealer (can be bought at local home store like Lowe's or Home Depot).

  • Columbia GB Columbia GB on Oct 13, 2019

    Latex paint will come up with warm water and a plastic scraper. Hit it with a scraper first. If it doesn't come up, then place a rag soaked with warm water on top of it for a few minutes. Whatever didn't come up, use the scraper to score it. Then soak it again.


  • Dee Dee on Oct 13, 2019

    You can also use Acetone, the kind you buy in Lowes or Home Depot not nail polish remover. Definitely use a plastic scraper, so not to harm the flooring which by the way is beautiful. You can also change the grout color using a product called Grout Refresh you can buy it at Floor and Decor, they have lots of colors. Amazon sells it too but it is twice the price.