How to Easily Remove Vinyl Flooring

In this article you will learn basic steps to successfully remove vinyl floor tiles. Vinyl flooring has always been a popular flooring material. Because of its numerous designs and styles, vinyl floors are highly versatile and perfect for both residential and commercial applications.

Vinyl flooring is a relatively long lasting material, but it does have its limitations. Since vinyl flooring is made from PVC resins and plasticizers, over time, wear and tear can eventually take its toll. In some cases you may need to repair, replace, or remove your old vinyl flooring. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing!

Safety First!

A good reason to replace your old vinyl flooring (even if it still looks good) is because, before 1970, vinyl floors were manufactured with asbestos. Asbestos is an unhealthy material, and in the early 70’s the EPA discovered the dangers of inhaling it.

Asbestos can cause allergies, severe respiratory illnesses, and was subsequently banned. But before the ban, asbestos vinyl flooring was widely used because of its strength, durability, heat resistance, and its insulation and fireproofing qualities.

Removing vinyl flooring can be easy with the following steps. But before you start removing your vinyl, we suggest that you test for the presence of asbestos. Cut off a strip of vinyl from the floor and send it to a laboratory for analysis. In general, asbestos is completely safe in a solid state and its danger comes only when the asbestos vinyl fragments become airborne. Anyhow, even if the vinyl tests negative for asbestos, we still recommend that you wear a mask when you start removing your old flooring. Your own health and safety should always be a priority.

Instructions to Remove Vinyl Flooring

Gather all the materials that you will use. You will need a scraper, soap and water, heat gun or hair dryer, utility/floor knife, and a vacuum. When you’ve gathered these materials, it’s now time to begin removing your vinyl flooring:

• Remove all the things inside the room.

Of course, the first step is to rid your room of all things that can slow you down while you remove your vinyl flooring. That includes just about everything else.

• Get rid of the trims.

Remove all trims along the floor. You can still reuse the trims; use a flathead screwdriver to pry the baseboards and trim away from the wall in sections.

• Take out the nails, staples, and tacks.

Determine first if the vinyl’s edge was tacked, nailed, stapled down, or glued. Usually, vinyl flooring is glued down with adhesives but if otherwise, take caution as you pry the nails, staples, or tacks out of the vinyl using a claw head hammer or the end of a small pry bar. Remove all staples, tacks, or nails before pulling the vinyl out. Discard the sharps in a puncture-resistant container.

• Pull the vinyl out.

Pull the vinyl in a place where it is not glued down. You can use a utility knife to cut strips out of the flooring which is more than 12 inches wide.

• Start scraping the adhesive.

Use a scraper to pull up the vinyl in areas that are hard to strip due to the adhesive that was applied.

• Soften the hard-to-remove adhesive.

Spray some water with soap on the adhesive in the areas that are difficult to remove. Let the soapy mixture get absorbed into the area then use a scraper to pull the vinyl away. For the more stubborn areas, employ the use of a heat gun or hair dryer to soften the remaining adhesives on the floor. Heat small portions of the floor, scrape, then strip off. Be careful not to damage the subfloor. When all else fails, you can use a chemical like Krud Kutter or acetone to soak the adhesive and then strip it off. Remember to use gloves when applying chemicals.

• Clean up any excess vinyl

After you have removed most of the vinyl, you can use the vacuum to pick up any remaining pieces of vinyl.

• Finish by re-vacuuming the floor.

Check the floor if you have removed all the vinyl and adhesive on the floor. Then vacuum the floor again before you install your new flooring.

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