I hired a very crappy "handyman" turns out he wasn't so handy. He painted the entire interior of my home.
Question:He left paint on the baseboards and on the door frames. How do I get the paint off of the door frames? I am looking to sell the house and need to make it look like someone with some sense painted the house
Answers:
Depending on what kind of finish is on the trim, you might be able to scrape off the paint with a plastic putty knife. Problem is, this could cause some of the finish to chip off, which means you would need to reapply the finish in just those spots. Mineral spirits, as one person suggested, might also work, but it will not take off the finish. If you are skeptical, test in an inconspicuous place first.
It may be easier and quicker to match the paint on the baseboards and door frames, then repaint them as opposed to trying to remove the older paint. Even when one is successful in removing paint, there is usually a spot or other discoloration left behind.
good luck
as the poster above said, you may have areas of discoloration left behind.
Your best bet is to sand the wood down and restain it.
Try "Goof Off". Available at home improvement stores everywhere.
Use mineral spirits to remove the paint. The only problem is that mineral spirits will remove any finish that the wood had, so you may want to re-finish it. It will take longer but after you re-finish the wood it will look like brand new.
Sometimes hot soapy water and a fingernail or a scrubby can take light marks of relatively new latex paint off, but be careful you don't scrub too much.
Painter's hand wipes can also do the job. I can't remember the brand name, but Home Depot sells them. I believe the container is yellow. Again, these won't work on heavy spills. Test them out first. You don't want to remove more than your paint spills. I have also used these to remove dried paint from shoes and clothing with great success.
You might be able to peel off latex paint blobs or drips. Try working a razor scraper or Exacto Knife under the edge. When the blob crosses over two pieces of wood, you might be able to cut it at the joint. Then try to peel or flick off the paint. You have to be very careful with this technique as you could scratch your wood. But if the wood underneath is stained, rather than painted, you might be able to cover up any scratches with a Minwax wood repair marker.
Good luck,
GJW
Real estate investor
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