Removing linoleum can be pretty much difficult if it is very old, and especially if it is on a wood floor. Read the following article that provides you with a method that will help you to get rid of it easily.
Thinking of a makeover for your house? It is indeed a great idea. But, let me ask you one thing. Do you have linoleum on your flooring? If you have, it is going to be a little bit tough, because removing it is surely not a cake walk. What makes it difficult is the fact that the glue holding it on wooden subfloors is almost bonded with the underlying wood. However, this is still possible; the following information would prove to be useful in serving this purpose.
Removing It From Concrete
- To begin with, these are the supplies you will need: floor scraper, razor scraper, razor knife, wire brush, heat gun, 5-inch putty knife, gloves, and Krud kutter or aceton.
- Once you have the things you need, score the linoleum. In case you have tiles, this is not required.
- If it is a roll, you will be needed to cut it into smaller pieces, making it easier to handle. The pieces should be around 2×2 square feet.
- Get your heat gun to work now; these are commonly used to get rid of paint; however, they make the arduous task a bit easier here. This is especially for linoleum tiles.
- Take care that you don’t heat it a lot to melt the linoleum.
- Try and pry a corner up; follow this by blowing the heat beneath the tile and scrape using a razor scraper or may be a 5-inch putty knife.
- The glue should give up gradually by now, and you would be able to take the linoleum off.
- See if you can pull up or scrape it off. Check to see if it is brittle – if it comes out and leaves the glue on the concrete.
- A wire brush would then come into the picture to brush off the glue. The rest of the concrete then can be lifted off using a Krud kutter.
- Finally, rinse with warm water and scrape. You would need to get under linoleum, and this will involve some amount of elbow grease, but keep at it. You will surely get it up.
Removing It From Wood
- You will first need to see what kind of a subfloor you have. You can do this by peeling a small section of linoleum.
- If it is wood, especially hardwood, check out which way the underlying hardwood flooring is going. Then cut the linoleum into 6-inch or 8-inch wide strips in tune with the grain.
- Using a heat gun, heat it and while the glue is soft, pry it off.
- Make the maximum use of floor scraper and remove as much glue as you can.
- Take care that you do not gouge the wood.
- Now sand the wood surface and make sure that there are no traces of glue, and then add the finishing touches.
- For your new flooring, smooth and even out the wooden subflooring.
This procedure is the same even in case of plywood.
Some Useful Tips
- If the existing flooring is in good shape and has no missing chunks, you can even consider putting a new floor right over the linoleum.
- Get it tested to make sure that it does not have asbestos, if you decide to remove it.
- Old linoleum may have amounts of asbestos; in case it is found so, get the help of a professional. It is advisable to be on the safer side when it is asbestos.
Finally, if you are really up for it and are all game for removing this material, be prepared for some real hard work. Although this task is a bit tedious, the shine of your subfloor after you remove all the dirt along with pieces of unwanted stuff will justify all the efforts you put into it.