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uncase up vinyl flooring is no picnic , but the real test is to get rid of the gum that had been secure the vinyl group to the subfloor .

The only ash grey liner here is that while the piece of work may be tedious and time - have , anyone can learn how to remove vinyl group flooring . No extra pecker or advanced skills are required — it ’s really only a matter of pose in the work .

Removing old glued down vinyls tile flooring by applying heat.

Photo: Hisham Ibrahim / Getty Images

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Before You Begin

Until the mid-1980s , asbestosoften do as an fixings in vinyl radical knock down merchandise . If you lie with that the floor you ’re transfer has been around that long , or if you ’re not certain how erstwhile the vinyl storey is , you ’ll want totest for asbestosbefore you move fore . It ’s a respectable thought to employ a professional to do this .

4 Steps to Removing Vinyl Flooring

Step 1: Remove furniture and baseboards from the room.

To remove vinyl group flooring , you must first take all furniture out of the elbow room and give yourself unimpeded admittance to the work expanse . You ’ll also need to cautiously remove all skirting board and any other trim that meets the floor .

Step 2: Cut flooring into 12-inch strips.

Next , situate a surgical incision of the trading floor with no gum underneath . begin remove vinyl radical flooring right here , using autility knifeto cut the material into 12 - inch funnies .

Pull up each one softly . Where you see underground from the glue , habituate a scraper tool ( or even a kitchen spatula ) to get the strip loose . In places where the glue is especially tenacious , you’re able to expend a pounding - and - chisel combination to chip at the indurate adhesive .

Tried-and-True Advice

“ I wish to get rid of a small plane section [ of vinyl ] before strategizing for the entire floor . Find an sharpness and Sir Robert Peel , abbreviate and scrape as necessary to scupper the edge tape . If the vinyl group is only taped , the heart sections will peel away easily . If mucilage is present , utilise a thin - inch flooring scraper while pulling strips of vinyl away . Adding a solvent or goop mixed bag can help oneself to soften and release the glue . Heat from a hair dryer or heat gun is also utile , but vinyl radical will unfreeze with too much concentrated heat so be cautious when a heat gun is present . ”

— Zach Lazzari , Contributing Writer

Step 3: Get rid of the glue.

One of thedownsides of vinyl flooringis that its adhesive material makes the floor tough to take away . If you absent the vinyl floor but there ’s glue remaining on the subfloor , try this : Mix fond water and soap in a bucket , then apply it generously to the glue , appropriate time for the mixed bag to inebriate in . When you return , the glue will have softened and become easy to remove .

If that does n’t work , it ’s time to bring some heat into the equivalence . Buy or rent a heat gun — or in a pinch , use your fuzz dryer — and hold it directly over the obstinate adhesive material long enough to soften the mucilage ( but not long enough to cause any damage to the subfloor ) . Then go at the mucilage with your trusty scraper .

Step 4: Clean up.

The last step to take vinyl floor is some last cleaning : expend a broom orshop vacto move out all remaining debris .

Another Way to Remove Vinyl Flooring

If this process seems like way too much body of work , another pick is to take apower scraperfrom your local home improvement eye , which will make nimble piece of work of things . If you prefer for the power scraper , be sure to quiz it first in an invisible area ; you will need to adjust its slant so that it removes only the vinyl - and - glue layer , not the fundamental subfloor . Score the vinyl radical into 10 - column inch sections with the public-service corporation knife , then twist on the scraper and get busy .

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