Removing paint from floor tiles

[dick turpin]

Had a builder splatter gloss paint over

my floor tiles am a bit reluctant to go

the full monty with paint stripper for

fear of damage to said tiles....is there

a safer means.

 

 

[McTavish]

Paint stripper should be ok on glazed tiles.  If in doubt, test a small area 1st.

[Crossy]

You could try "turpintine", sorry fetching my coat

 

Builder put it on, builder should get it off, but as @McTavishnotes stripper should be ok on glazed tiles.

 

 

[chickenslegs]

I would use paint thinner and a soft cloth, rather than paint stripper. And, as McTavish suggested, test on a small area first.

[BKKBike09]

If you're not busy and it's only small spots, an old credit card, a hairdryer and elbow grease will work too.

[dick turpin]

Thanks guys.....most critical advice would seem  

to be to test out on small area first and go from

there.

 

Agree, should call back the builder to take care,

but he obviously has already demonstrated his

attitude to maintaing a clean workplace.

 

 

 

[Yellowtail]

Paint should scrap right off of glazed tiles. The grout will be the issue. 

[degrub]

latex  water based or oil based paint ?

 

[Lacessit]

Paint stripper is a mix of organic solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide, tetrahydrofuran, and acetone made up into a gel or spray with nonionic surfactant.

 

Glazed tiles are an inorganic silicate, there is no way paint stripper can react with or damage them.

 

The only question mark would be the grouting, which may become discolored when the stripper dissolves color components in the paint. It also depends on how far the  paint got into the grout, usually porous.

I would recommend using thin strips of Bluetack to protect the grout. Clean the tiles with paint stripper. Once the paint and stripper are gone, any residual paint on the grout can be removed with a small chisel. If it is still discolored, fresh grouting will be needed.

However, it's only real fussbudgets who worry about minor differences in grout color.

[sometime]

I use a Stanley window scaper

 

[McTavish]

22 minutes ago, sometime said:

I use a Stanley window scraper

 

 

A wonderful tool.  Didn't know they were sold here now.

[bbko]

I just use a simple razor when I need to remove splattered paint off the tiles, just a few baht in any beauty/make-up section of the supermarkets. 

[poobear]

I use razor blades and elbow grease. 

[zzaa09]

From experience, it appears that too many painting "professionals" are reluctant [or terribly ignorant of] to practice the art of drop cloths - especially among sensitive areas. 

 

Saves on a lot of unnecessary cleanup and frustration. 

[sometime]

1 hour ago, McTavish said:

A wonderful tool.  Didn't know they were sold here now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pack-Window-Scraper-Decorators-Painters/dp/B07DH91FMT/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=Stanley+0-28-590+Window+Scraper%2C+Yellow&qid=1688647521&sr=8-8

[BenStark]

1 hour ago, McTavish said:

1 hour ago, sometime said:

I use a Stanley window scraper

 

 

A wonderful tool.  Didn't know they were sold here now.

Trust me, it doesn't matter if the scraper is yellow and has the name Stanley on it.

 

Similar tools are available in most hardware stores and on the online platforms, and they do the exact same job

[Sametboy2019]

Thai painting. Paint the wall, paint the ceiling, splash the floor and any other variable of this.

[Yellowtail]

I love this Lisle scraper, the blade locks in really great and I love the long handle. Perfect for windows and floors. 

 

 

Spare blades in the handle

 

[McTavish]

10 hours ago, BenStark said:

Trust me, it doesn't matter if the scraper is yellow and has the name Stanley on it.

 

Similar tools are available in most hardware stores and on the online platforms, and they do the exact same job

Ah, but.  The unique feature of a stanley scraper is the 'shoulder' area which protects window frames, skirting or architrave from accidental gouging.  I've used all manner of scrapers on houses, boats and fine furniture so I agree that in the context of this thread there are others which can do the same job.

[sammieuk1]

For stubborn spots if all else fails ????

 

[herfiehandbag]

23 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

For stubborn spots if all else fails ????

 

You may have lived here too long...

[BenStark]

2 hours ago, McTavish said:

Ah, but.  The unique feature of a stanley scraper is the 'shoulder' area which protects window frames, skirting or architrave from accidental gouging.  I've used all manner of scrapers on houses, boats and fine furniture so I agree that in the context of this thread there are others which can do the same job.

Not sure what you mean with shoulder area, maybe like this ?

 

20 baht at Hardware House Thailand.

 

 

[seajae]

if its fresh/only a few days old you only need to soften & remove the top skin and then wipe off with thinners. Paint(oil) will take a over a month to fully harden/cure and then you should be able to scrape it off and again use thinners to remove any left overs, trouble is thais refuse to use drop sheets or remove switch cover etc and just paint everything, when I painted my wifes units shop I had thais watching me use drop sheets(I am a painter & decorator retired  by trade) as they thought I was crazy, Thai painters are not trades people and have never done an apprenticeship etc, they are simply brush hands with no idea how to do it properly same as virtually every building trade as well as many others in Thailand.

[Yellowtail]

25 minutes ago, seajae said:

if its fresh/only a few days old you only need to soften & remove the top skin and then wipe off with thinners. Paint(oil) will take a over a month to fully harden/cure and then you should be able to scrape it off and again use thinners to remove any left overs, trouble is thais refuse to use drop sheets or remove switch cover etc and just paint everything, when I painted my wifes units shop I had thais watching me use drop sheets(I am a painter & decorator retired  by trade) as they thought I was crazy, Thai painters are not trades people and have never done an apprenticeship etc, they are simply brush hands with no idea how to do it properly same as virtually every building trade as well as many others in Thailand.

The last Thai painter I had was great. Not a drop on the floor, and cut every bit of trim in by hand, almost no tape. A little spatter on the windows from the roller but he cleaned them up. 

 

But yeah, that's not real common, particularly when using laborers rather than tradesmen. 

 

[McTavish]

1 hour ago, BenStark said:

Not sure what you mean with shoulder area, maybe like this ?

 

20 baht at Hardware House Thailand.

 

 

 

Shoulders of the handle, where it extends beyond each side of the blade.

[BenStark]

3 minutes ago, McTavish said:

Shoulders of the handle, where it extends beyond each side of the blade.

Thanks, that is what the one in my post has.

[J Branche]

If it is latex paint you can use very warm water, dish soap and test a small area with the scouring part of the Scotch-brite sponge.  The remaining should be removed by wiping with warm soapy water and using an old

plastic credit card.  Those old plastic credit cards are quite handy and generally allow you to remove

stuff like paint off of laminate floors, tiles, or baseboards without damage.