remove a stencil from a hardwood floor

I bought a house that has an ugly stencil on all 4 corners as well as in the center of the room. I don't know anything about the current finish on the floors . The stencil was done using a pattern and paint.
I want to know how to remove the stencilling.
Can anyone give me advise on how to do this?
Thanks,

 

I imagine that the first step would be to determine whether or not the stencil is beneath the finish. If it is on top of the finish, removing it would be more straighforward than if it were under the finish. You might try shining a light across the floor across the stencil to see if it appears to be on top. That is, the defining edge appears to be above the finish of the floor.

If this is the case and working in an inconspicuous location, wipe the stencil with some mineral spirits to remove any wax. Next, try a little Goof-Off to see if it will come up. If it is latex or acrylic, this may work. Alternatively, try to gently scrape the edge of the stencil off with an exacto knife to see if you can remove it in that manner. Even if it is alkyd, it may have been applied so that it did not necessarily bond with the existing finish due to its being waxed or unprepared for adequate bonding of the stencil. You may be able to remove it with the fine, metal mesh that is used for screening the floors for renewing the finish.

If the stencil were applied to the stained floor and the finish, which is probably polyurethane, was applied over it, your options are pretty limity to stripping and refinishing the floor.

Hope this helps.