We own a beautiful 1940s apartment complex that has several

charming old Congoleum linoleum kitchen floors (which seem to last forever) that most of its tenants have greatly appreciated and cared for....

Accordingly, we were recently disheartened when we found that a tenant who just moved out - had splattered paint drops over her entire kitchen floor during her attempt to paint its ceiling and walls.

Because she probably meant well, we will not be holding her financially responsible. However we are hoping someone out there has a suggestion or two on how to practically solve this challenge.

Thank you

How about this wild idea?

Dilute the paint remover to 10% and sequentially spread it over the entire entire floor and then mopping it up...until you reach the step where the spots are gone?

You might as well figure on kissing that charming and amazingly durable product good bye, and buy a cheap new floor covering.

"Because she probably meant well"?! NO, NO, NO! Don't justify bad behavior - she absolutely IS responsible financially.

Before giving up on it, I would try liberally spreading paint remover over an area, then scrape with a wider putty knife. Don't know if it will work, but might. Be sure to charge for your time, as well as supplies.

I use warm vinegar to clean old brushes, maybe that would work. Depending on the size of the area. Try a plastic scrubby, 3m pad. Did this have a good coat of wax on it? Then you might try a wax stripper to dissolve that which will loosen the paint off. I have used straight Krud Kutter on new paint, but paint that has cured is another story.

What do you mean "she meant well?"

This is a owner i want to know, I have encountered several sloppy wanna-be paint people who have been unhappy in various degrees of making fool's of themselves on the porch and in court in front of the courtroom trying to explain the tv show never mentions taking steps to protect other parts of the room, the tv show used professional painting people is what I explain as well as the judge who suggests keeping several cleanup towels nearby in the event accidents happen, they do as you have seen, you could finish the floor with a finger painting group from a nursery school, get some animal footprint stamps to accent the handiwork. Otherwise you will toil at this for several days softening the paint but not the floor, I think it would be faster to repair a fiberglass boat wreck.

It is medication time....

Clean sooner rather than later.

I have immense patience for fiddley stuff like this, so, me, I’d be doing elbow grease, wet rags, and Latex Paint Remover.

Change the rags regularly, as softened latex paint can restick if it gets back on the floor.

The wax stripper sounds like a good idea too.

I would think judges in my area wouldn’t allow charges for damages to such an old floor ( I have heard the local courts take that into consideration.) But, if I had a newer lease, my state now allows for reasonable amounts of charges for landlord labor.

I love seeing the sturdy old stuff being kept in use, kept in good nic. Less waste in landfills, shows appreciation for the past.

Mack [PA], I have some ideas for you but need to know what size splatters. Tiny little dots (like the throw-off from a too-fast moving roller) or larger coin size drops from sloppy brush/roller handling?

The big lesson here is the one that most other seasoned LLs on this forum will give you (and have listed numerous times in the past):

Yup, never let tenants paint. This is what usually happens.

From the 1940's

I would just upgrade.

We have had plenty of CHARMING carpet and flooring we have had to replace over the years.

I agree with DJ on hold her responsible.

I figure that flooring should last 5 years for carpeting and 7 years for vinyl. It does get depreciated so I need to ask - if this had not happened, when were you planning on replacing it?