Removing Vinyl Flooring
If your kitchen or bathroom floor is covered in vinyl from the 80′s and your ready to update it, first you will need to take up the old vinyl. Removing vinyl flooring can be quite a job. If you are planning to go back with another vinyl product, you will need to get your floors back down to the clean concrete or wood.
It is true that you can lay new vinyl over your existing vinyl, however your new floor will only be as good as the old covering. There are a couple different ways that you can remove vinyl floors, it all has to do with how the vinyl was installed.
Vinyl can either be glued down everywhere, or it can be perimeter glued. If you vinyl flooring was perimeter glued, it should come up easily and fast. Simply take a utility knife and cut into the flooring anywhere. Make a hole big enough that you can grab onto the vinyl, and start pulling it up. Some glue will be left behind while you are removing vinyl flooring, take a 4″ scraper and scrap it up. Finish cleaning your foundation by sweeping and vacuuming, your floor is now ready for new flooring.
If your vinyl floor was glued down everywhere, be prepared for a long day. Try and start in a door way or in a corner, and use a 4″ scraper to scrape the vinyl flooring. Chances are that a paper backing will be left behind. You will need to scrape this up as well. This is one of the toughest parts when removing vinyl flooring. There are some products on the market that will help break down the glue and allow you to scrape it easier. Hot water allowed to soak on the paper backing for about 15 minutes will also help the paper and glue to come up easily in many cases. If you use any chemicals, you must re-clean the floor with clean water and allow to dry for at least 24 hours before any flooring is reinstalled.
