In most cases, painting is one of those renovation works that you can do yourself instead of hiring a professional. Although hiring an expert is always a wise decision, you can save a lot on your budget if you know how to do something on your own.
But knowing how to paint is one thing, and removing paint is another. If you plan to do your own painting, don’t be surprised if you make a mess or two, especially if you’re a beginner. When it comes to painting, most people tend to only worry about the painting part and automatically assume that you can remove paint with water or soap.
However, removing paint isn’t always that simple, particularly on certain surfaces like tiles in your bathroom or wood in your patio. Therefore, knowing how to remove paint from tile floor or from wood will require some basic knowledge of paint itself, such as how long it takes to dry, and the makeup of the materials its on.
Solutions to Removing Paint From Tiles
There are actually quite a few different ways to remove dried paint from tiles. Fortunately, most of these are DIY, so you can find the solution and items you need in an average household.
Use a sharp or thin-edged tool
This method is probably the simplest solution to getting rid of those splattered paint on your tiles. All you have to do is use a sharp or thin-edged tool like a razor blade or, better yet, a putty knife to scrape off the paint. Because you don’t need any solution, this method works best when you want to know how to remove latex paint from tile and grout. Latex paint is water-based, which means it can be removed with soap water.
One thing to keep in mind with this method, though, is that the scrapping has a high chance of scratching your tiles. So if you have expensive or brittle tiles, then this may not be the solution for you.
Furthermore, be very careful about how to remove paint from tile and grout because you may strip off more layers of the grout than you need to, thus weakening the structural connection between the tiles.
Use vinegar or nail polish remover
The best thing about using vinegar as a solution to removing paint from tiles, whether it’s about how to remove paint from porcelain tile or how to remove paint from ceramic tile, is that every home has this available. Moreover, this solution is harmless since vinegar is both eco and environmentally friendly as it has no dangerous chemicals or added toxins.
To use vinegar, preferably white vinegar, have an equal portion of water and vinegar in a pot to boil. Once it’s boiled, rub it onto the dried paint, which will act to soften it so that removing the paint will become easy.
Another DIY paint remover solution is nail polish remover. This product has an ingredient called acetone, which is a natural paint remover, hence why it is used as a nail polish remover. All you have to do is brush it onto the dried paint and wipe it afterward. Take note, however, that using nail polish remover is not as strong as paint thinner, so it may take a little longer to remove the paint.
Use paint thinner
Finally, the last method worth mentioning, and in almost all cases, the most effective way of removing paint from tiles, is using paint thinner. You can also use a paint stripper, but this is a stronger chemical solution and therefore has an increased chance of damaging your delicate tiles. So paint strippers are used more for surfaces like wood.
But the reason why using a paint thinner is effective is because they are meant to remove paint mess. How paint thinner works is it dissolves or reduces the viscosity of the paint. That is why once you’ve applied it to the dried paint, it becomes very easily removable.
When it comes to paint thinners, take into account that this is a chemical-based solution, meaning it can be harmful when inhaled. So when cleaning up your mess, make sure to keep children and pets away and that you wear a mask for protection from the fumes.
Conclusion
Whether it is learning how to remove spray paint from tile or even how to remove epoxy paint from tile, these three methods above can work. The first method is great for water-based paint. The second is good for oil-based paint since this type of paint has a stronger chemical solution. However, the third method is better for removing both types of paint, so this would be the preferred method for a more effective result.