thompsondockside.com

Ok, so it's not directly boat related, but I bet that since the folks here work in wood all the time maybe I can get some help - I'll need to do somehting similair on the 62 Cortland soon as well.

Re-doing a room in my house - hardwood floors are decent enough. Through nailed maple I think. But the original "varnish" from 1969 is worn out. Also, the previous owner painted the room, getting latex paint all over the place (spots, drops, sudges). Apparently didnt care since he put carpet over it.

I want to clean and freshen the floors. Remove the dirt, paint, scuff the existing varnish, then put new polyurethane on it. I dont want to sand them down to bare wood, dont really want a new floor look. Want to keep the patina of the existing stain. Its a big room and the individual boards are uneven, lots of high & low spots, so a floor sander is likley not a good choice.

How to proceed?

Probably should have posted this in the Misc. section.
Try using "Goo-Gone" or someother kind of commercial remover. But personally those never seem to work for me.I would try some turpentine. Not thinner but plain old turpentine. Try a little on a rag and see. Also if paint is heavey , gently use a scrapper first.
As for the rest. A plam sander on your hands and knees. Invest in a GOOD pair of knee pads.
I restored a house that was originally built in 1874 and had a major remodel in 1910. Floors ran the gamut from Oak to Maple to just plain old Pine.
Good luck.
Karl.