How to Pull up Linoleum Flooring
If you are remodeling your old home, one of the worst tasks you may take on is pulling up and removing an old linoleum floor. Once you do manage to get the floor up, you are then faced with old glue that is probably in large gobs, that is as hard as rock, across the entire floor. Below is an instruction guide to help you in your task. Don’t get discouraged as you work. Just remember that the end result will be well worth the hard work. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Utility Knife
- Hammer
- Chisel or stiff putty knife
- Heat gun (optional)
- Paint scraper
- Circular saw
- Sander
- Floor scraper
- (All of these items may not be necessary; use your own judgment based on what is underneath your linoleum flooring.)
Instructions
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Steps for Linoleum Over Wood Sub-flooring or Hardwood Floors
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1
Peel up one corner of the linoleum to determine the direction of the hardwood flooring.
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2
Using strips 6 inches wide, cut through the linoleum in the same direction as the hardwood flooring. This will ensure that you are not leaving marks across the grain of the hardwood with your utility knife. Another safety precaution is to be sure that your blade is only set as deep as the thickness of the linoleum.
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3
Using your heat gun, warm the linoleum and pull up on it while prying on the glue before it cools. This can usually be done with a scraper or a putty knife.
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4
Carefully, so as not to leave deep gouges in the hardwood, scrape the remaining glue off of the floor.
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5
Using a sander, remove any residual glue from the floor.
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6
If you would prefer not to scrape on the wood floor, another option would be to use a solvent to remove the glue. You might also lay a folded up towel over the glue and pour boiling water over it. Allow it to stand for about 10 minutes and the glue should be soft enough to easily scrape up.
Steps for Linoleum on a Concrete Slab
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7
Cut the flooring into strips that are approximately 6 inches in width.
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8
Heat it with a heat gun to soften the glue before trying to pull it up.
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9
Use a floor scraper to remove the remaining glue. The glue may also be soaked in soapy water or a solvent to soften it.
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1
Tips & Warnings
When wood is the subfloor, it is important to remove all of the old glue. This is because the oils contained in many old adhesives can cause yellowing in new vinyl. The adhesives may also become crisp and brittle and break loose under new flooring, causing problems that may not be covered by the warranty on the new floor.
When removing linoleum and plywood subflooring, be careful not to cut into the floor joists.
Some old linoleum or adhesives contained asbestos. If your linoleum was put down before the 1970s, there is a good chance that it does. This linoleum will pose a significant risk to your health when you remove it. It is important to have a licensed professional do the work. If you are not sure about your flooring, there are testing centers that you can take a sample to for verification.
