Removing Vinyl Flooring - Removing vinyl & the adhesive

The process of removing vinyl flooring

Armstrong Classic Marble Vinyl Tiles

Removing vinyl flooring is often the only option if you can not install your new surface over the old existing one. Before removing vinyl the first thing that has to be done is to test for the presence of asbestos. Why? Well although asbestos is completely safe in a solid state, the danger arises when fragments become small enough to be carried into the air (occurs when drilling, sawing, chiseling etc is done.) Breathing in these small particles can lead to respiratory ailments and cancer.

Removing vinyl flooring is only as easy as how well it was originally fitted. There are two ways to fit the sheets - full bondage or perimeter bonded. Fully bonded sheets are harder to remove as adhesive was applied to the whole of the initial surface being covered, while perimeter bonding is only secured along the edges.

The Process of Removing Vinyl Flooring

In either case you still need to get it off. So what you first have to do is, with a work knife, slice the floor into workable sections. What you then want to do then is use about a 5 inch putty knife and begin to wedge it underneath the incisions, lifting up the floor as you go. From here you can try and peel it off one section at a time.

Left behind will be the backing and traces of the original adhesive. To completely remove the vinyl flooring you will have to use a wall scraper from here on. It is tedious work but unfortunately it is work that has to be done.

It is possible to come across patches that are just completely stubborn and you might have to resort to using a chemical stripper which uses substances such as methylene chloride. The fumes from such products can be hazardous, so ensure the room has a flow of air through it.

There is another way to remove vinyl sheet flooring. And that is with dry ice. What the dry ice does is it makes the vinyl very brittle so that it literally breaks away. The ice needs to be cut into pieces that are about twelve inches by twelve inches and then placed on the floor. Give it a few minutes and the tiles will start cracking off. Always handle dry ice with gloves and store in a refrigerator. The benefit of doing it this way is that there is also less mess to clean up.

The last alternative to remove a vinyl floor is to get a company that offers this service in to do all the dirty work. Some people also find that when you add up the time and energy spent on scrapping and lifting plus the money spent on tools and solvents it can work out easier just to hire a contractor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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