Paint bleeding onto timber floor under masking tape.

[shmalec]

G'day Folks,
I've just painted all my skirting with aquanamel and it has bled under the masking I used on the floors. The floors are hardwood and were recently sanded and covered with water based polyurethane.
I think because the polyurethane raised the grain in the wood, the tape didn't seal properly.
So I'm looking for any good ideas on how to remove the paint from the polyurethane without damaging the finish on the skirting or floor.
I just finished painting the entire interior of our newly purchased house and it has come up really well except for this. So a bit annoying really.
Anyway, all help gratefully appreciated.
CHeers Alec.

[shanetorque]

Sorry to hear that you've had such bad luck.

Anything that you use to remove the paint from the floor, either mechanical or chemical, will also remove it from the skirting board, so you're going to have a hard time with this.

I don't have a great solution but try an allway paint scraper. they have an extension at the blade end so you may be able to scrape the floor and leave the paint on the skirting.

Hear is an image of the blade.

Then you might have to touch up the floor with more Waterbase but at least if this gets on the skirting it'll be clear.

[Bob38S]

G'day Alec,

Before using any scrapers etc could I suggest you try Methylated Spirits on a clean rag. Most water based paints can be removed/cleaned up using metho. Hold the damp cloth on the bits you wish to remove and let it "soak" briefly then rub it off. Ensure that the rag is clean and changed frequently for a clean bit.

You tried to do the right thing with the tape - was it good quality tape or the stuff from the el-cheapo store? The good stuff when applied and rubbed over to seal it down will usually work quite well - the cheap stuff - not often.

Regards,
Bob

[shmalec]

Thanks Gents.
I think the scraper will be a last resort as the floor is a little ribbed due to the raised grain. The aquanamel spec states a solvent of 'aromatic hydrocarbons and alcohol' ie Metho. So, metho seems like a good starting point.
Cheers. A.