Tips for Removing Linoleum and Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl and linoleum flooring look beautiful when installed. But they suffer from one major drawback. With time vinyl and linoleum age and lose color. They spoil the look of the room and must either be covered or replaced. When you move into a new home you may be faced with – ‘not so beautiful’ vinyl and linoleum floors that you want to replace.

Removing vinyl and linoleum floors is not easy. At times people prefer the easier route of covering the worn out vinyl floor with another layer of vinyl or linoleum.

Multiple layers of Vinyl and Linoleum

Often there are multiple layers of flooring that must be removed. If you have moved into a new house it is prudent to try to find out how many layers of flooring you must remove. Uninformed and unprepared home owners have found that there are several layers of worn out flooring one on top of the other. A quick DIY project soon becomes a big challenge leading to frustration. Old glue used to stick floors would have hardened to a concrete like substance over the years adding another level of difficulty to the task at hand.

Why Remove Vinyl and Linoleum flooring?

If vinyl and linoleum can be covered – why bother about removing them at all? While it is true that these twin flooring materials can be piled on top of old flooring, there are only so many layers that can be glued together. After some time, the flooring becomes too thick for the threshold. More often the reason for removing vinyl and linoleum is that you would like something else on your floor.

You may be handsomely rewarded for your efforts at removing old flooring. Many vinyl and linoleum floors across America were installed on top of hardwood flooring. Investing time and money in removing the worn out layers may gift you with quality hardwood flooring that can be restored, sealed and stained. You can thus have solid hardwood flooring that will be much loved by friends and family alike without paying for the material or the installation.

Removing Vinyl and Linoleum flooring.

Vinyl flooring can be installed as

• Full bonded flooring or.
• Perimeter bonded flooring.

Perimeter bonded flooring is easier to remove as it sticks to the floor only at the margins.

• If your flooring has an underlay, removing it may be easier. If it has been glued directly to the floor you will need a lot of physical labor to remove the floor. For especially stubborn areas you may need to use chemical strippers.
• Use a sharp knife to divide the flooring material into strips – around a foot wide. Take care not to drive the knife too deep or you may end up damaging the sub floor beneath.
• Pull up the strips of vinyl/ linoleum by hand. If your floor is made of tiles you will need to address individual tiles.
• The places where the glue has hardened will need more effort. When pulling up the strips of the flooring do not be hasty. Try dislodging the glued areas carefully with a knife before giving the almighty heave.
• In certain areas the flooring may not come up easily. You may need to cut the glue underneath by pushing a thin knife between the flooring and the subfloor.
• Once the flooring has been removed, you will find patches of glue sitting on the floor. Removing the glue may need a sharp knife, heat, boiling water or chemical strippers. Besides specialty chemicals, acetone and paint thinners may help you get rid of the glue on the floor.
• You may try using an electric floor scrapper to ease your job.
• Dry ice is an alternative that you may try out. Pieces of dry ice when placed on vinyl make it crack and chip. Removing the chips is easier than peeling it inch by inch.

If you must handle dry ice or chemicals in your floor removal project you must wear eye protection and gloves. Alternately why not talk to Contempo Floor Coverings and let our professional floor services take over your worries.

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.