How to Remove Linoleum Floor From Concrete

Removing linoleum from floors is not an easy project and you will need to have some aspirin on hand when you're done. It isn't so much the linoleum that gives you the trouble but the adhesive used to glue it down. You will probably need more than one day to do this project and a lot of elbow grease, but there are some tips to make it just a little bit easier. Read on to learn how to remove linoleum floor from concrete.

Things You'll Need

• Floor scraper
• Razor knife
• Razor scraper
• Krud Kutter
• Boiling water
• Acetone

Instructions

1. Take your razor knife and score the linoleum into 2 feet by 6 feet long sections. Get your floor scraper under the beginning of one section and push. You will know right away if you have a floor that is going to give you big problems. If you are getting nowhere fast, try boiling some water and putting it either directly into your scores, or laying a towel on the floor and pouring onto the towel. Let it sit for about five minutes and try again. A simple trick is to do this in two stages. Pull off the linoleum and then work on the backing and adhesive that is stuck to the floor. The linoleum usually comes right off, clearing the way to work on the adhesive.

2. Use a 4-inch razor scraper and scrape small sections to get the backing and adhesive off. If it is still giving you a hard time, use a product called Krud Kutter. You can buy this at your local home improvement store. Follow manufacturer's directions on time to let the product sit on the adhesive before trying to scrape it again. You can also rent a mechanical floor scraper from the home improvement store, but it are not very easy to handle. You are probably better off using a blade scraper and keeping your blades sharp by changing them often. Make sure you remove any residue left by chemical solvents.

3. Try acetone. If you are still having a problem with the adhesive, try using acetone. Make sure you have removed all of the Krud Kutter first. Open all windows and make sure you have good ventilation when using acetone. Scrape again after applying the acetone and letting it sit a bit. If you still have adhesive left, you will just have to work at it until you get it off. If you are going to tile over the concrete, a small amount of old adhesive won't matter.

4. Use a heat gun for old linoleum tiles. If you are dealing with the old linoleum tiles, try using a heat gun and a putty knife. Scrape with the knife as you heat up the tile and melt the adhesive. This does not work on the roll linoleum, you will just end up with a mess.

5. Use a cement backer board. If you just can't get the adhesive up, let the floor dry out, fill in the sections you were able to get up with thin set and screw down a cement backer board over the entire floor and start fresh. Only use this if you have no other choice.

Tips & Warnings

• Sometimes adding a little soap, such as Amway's LOC to the boiling water will help loosen the adhesive.

• Sometimes the older linoleum and the glue under it contain asbestos. Have a section tested, if it has asbestos, have a professional remove it or go over it. Your local health department will be able to tell you where there is an accredited lab near you.