Good points all, thanks and that's what I am thinking as well. We are using Waterlox, a tung oil product and we think that will help. The only down side is that the stains have a very dingy brown look to them. The heart pine floors are so full of resins that they have stained themselves in places (and the protective paper covering them) but the oils are clear and not brown like that of the sweeping compound. That said, the brown tinge is slight and I think (am optimistic) we will be fine. Thanks again all, I am feeling better!

Please be aware that the paint may contain lead; it would be prudent to have both layers tested to see if either contains the element. If a test comes back negative for each layer, then it would be safe for you to sand off the paint. Chemical removal is less likely to contaminate the surroundings, but you still will have the issue of what to do with the leaded paint waste.

Shellac's solvent is denatured alcohol (or, um, real alcohol if that's handier.) If that doesn't work try mineral spirits or turp - it might just be old-fashioned varnish. Or you can have both, in serial layers. Oh, the joys of old houses! Either way, you'll know pretty quickly because the paper towel you rub the solvent on with will get sticky when you have a match between the product and the solvent. Do the tests in an out-of-the-way spot, naturally. It would be fab if it's shellac as it's much easier to lift than paint. The issue with paint is that it gets deep in the grain and between the boards and trying to sand down below it for total removal can result in sanding too deep. Believe it or not some of us actually still use shellac on floors. It has many adavantages: it's natural (it's made from insect secretions, which may or may not cheer you up!); it's almost completely reversible (as you will find if that's shellac on your floors, you'll bless who ever put it down); and it's touch-up-able as new coats actually dissolve the coat below. It is uncommon now and many (trades)people never having worked with it consider it too tricky to apply so there is much recommendation against it. It is not as durable as poly, though, and it is particularly vulnerable to water. (Though you can wax it - with well-buffed paste wax - to increase its resistance to water. It's very old-fashioned. I don't think it's as fouly stinky as poly. I like the softer, less plastic-y look to it, especially when waxed. It probably takes longer to apply (more coats) than slapping on some poly, which may be partly why it fell out of favor. Casey usually chimes with good advice about buying it dry and recommends not buying it at big box stores because their stuff is not fresh. One buys the shellac flakes in various tints and mixes with alcohol in situ. I think it is harder to apply when it is very hot and humid. At least I have more problems with uneven drying which can lead to a cloudiness. (Not fatal, but requiring another coat.) Try Googling about this. If you get beyond the anti-shellac propaganda, you'll find info and Youtubes of people who have done it. HTH L.

Rubio or other hardwax oil finishes do not need sanding every year. They require 4 different maintenance products that you will use throughout the year. Cleaning oil + Maintenance oil + stain remover + Master Colour. And you will need to know how and why you need to use them. The Master Colour is the part that you *might want to hire out. That will be $3/sf when you do. So long as you, homeowner, do the daily/weekly/monthly maintenance you can get away with Master Colour application every 2-3 years. But that rarely happens. Why? Because the learning curve for homeowner is HIGH (as in "Wow! I wish someone had told me," type of learning curve ). And once that has been FULLY understood, THEN you still need to do the physical work! If you have a cleaning person, then be prepared to teach them (multiple times) how to maintain the floors AND be prepared for them to muck them up/damage them. There are tougher, longer lasting HWO finishes on the market. They are NOT cheap. The sanding MUST be perfect (Wow be to him/her that sucks up the sanding...sigh). And the closer you stick to a natural, NON coloured oil, the LESS you are with spills. In other words, you better love the look of aged pine flooring. If you don't then don't use it. Be aware and be prepared. The idea of self maintenance has lured many people to the wax-oils. Some enjoy it, most do not. Homeowner, know thyself. I'm super lazy = No HWO finishes for this chick!