Fixing up an old floor

Q: I recently just bought a house that was build in the 1930’s and has solid oak floors. In the living room it’s very dull. I don’t know if it’s because it was cleaned with ammonia or because it has a build up of oil, or some sort of residue. Also there’s wood floors in the kitchen that have been painted and have peel ‘n stick tile over them.

After removing the tile, should I strip the paint off myself? If so, What should I use to strip the paint? Or should I hire a professional for removing paint from wood floors?

A: Perhaps the old floors have been waxed? If that is the case, Dura Seal makes a good product called Renovator that will clean them up. As for the kitchen, you could use a chemical stripper to remove the paint, and then call a professional to sand them.