Remove Vinyl Tile Adhesive From Concrete Floor

Strike the face of stubborn tiles to break them up for easier removal.

Remove vinyl tile adhesive from concrete floor.

Sometimes heat and water are not enough to soften very old mastic and vinyl tile adhesive. Use a hammer to tap a stiff putty knife or brick chisel under the linoleum to break it loose. Removing vinyl from concrete is similar to removing it from subfloor. The thing about tile adhesive is that there isn t just one kind.

After the adhesive has been successfully cleared away it s time to wash the concrete. Work the chisel under the tiles forcing them loose. Either lift vinyl with a floor scraper or cut manageable pieces to remove as much vinyl flooring as possible. Start at a broken tile or between tiles where the grout has loosened.

So how do you remove floor tile adhesive from a concrete floor. Use a mild soap and water solution with a long handled scrub brush to thoroughly clean the entire floor. The glue should easily come off the floor if allowed to sit on the adhesive long enough. To remove old resilient flooring first cut it into parallel strips about 6 inches wide with a utility knife.

In these cases a solvent is needed to break down the glue so it can be scraped up. Start by scraping the glue with a pry bar or scraper. Scrape the glue and adhesive remover from the floor with a paint scraper. Keep a small trash can next to you while you are scraping to make cleanup a cinch.

However getting the adhesive off the concrete may prove to be more difficult. Additional tips for specific adhesives. Step 4 wash the floor. Pull the linoleum up in strips to reveal the backing or the glue.

If that doesn t get the glue off you will need to use a commercial adhesive stripper to soften and remove the glue. The same quality that makes tile adhesive so reliable can make it a real pain in the rear end when you want to install new tiles especially if the original floor is concrete. Masonry chisel and a 2 lb. Use a 3 4 or 1 in.

Work the chisel between the tiles and the concrete hammering them up with a 2 lb. Finally wipe up any loose adhesive bits with an absorbent cloth. For stubborn vinyl and glue that is stuck to the floor use a heat gun to soften the plastic flooring and adhesive.