How to Remove Glue Residue From Linoleum Tiles

How you remove linoleum glue depends on whether you're going to restore the original wood floor.

Linoleum tiles are usually glued in place; if you remove them, there will be a sticky glue residue that you'll need to removed before you replace the flooring. The method used to remove the glue residue will depend on whether you are restoring a wood floor that exists under the linoleum tiles.

Things You'll Need

• Hair dryer or heat gun
• Paint scraper
• Rubber gloves
• Respirator
• Solvent
• Stripper
• Sander and sand paper

Instructions

Not Restoring an Old Floor

1. Heat the glue residue with a hair dryer or a heat gun to soften it. Work on small sections of the floor at a time to keep the job manageable.

2. Scrape off the glue residue with a paint scraper as it is softened by the heat. Keep some old newspaper nearby to wipe the glue residue off the paint scraper as needed. This is the biggest part of the job; you will need to heat and scrape the entire floor a little bit at a time.

3. Repeat Step 2 if necessary (you can repeat Step 2 as many times as you think you need to) to remove more glue residue. The goal is to eventually remove 100 percent of the glue residue from the floor.

4. Apply a solvent to the floor to remove any remaining glue residue (the toughest spots). Allow the solvent to sit for approximately 15 minutes, then scrape the floor again with a paint scraper to remove the remaining glue residue and solvent. Use extreme caution when working with solvents; they are toxic and flammable, and the fumes can be dangerous to your health. Always wear rubber gloves to avoid skin contact and make sure that your work area has adequate ventilation for fresh air.

5. Clean the floor with soap and hot water as a final cleaning to prepare the surface for the new flooring.

Restoring an Old Floor

1. Apply stripper to the floor surface to loosen and dissolve the glue residue and old floor finish. Work with small sections of the floor at a time. Make sure there is adequate ventilation and that you wear rubber gloves to avoid skin contact.

2. Allow the stripper to sit for approximately 15 minutes, then scrape off the stripper, glue residue and old floor finish with a paint scraper. Keep some old newspaper nearby to wipe off the scrapper as needed.

3. Repeat Step 2 as many times as needed to remove as much of the glue residue and old floor finish as possible.

4. Sand the surface of the floor using a power sander. The goal is to strip the old floor down to the bare wood.

5. Clean the surface of the floor with a damp cloth as a final cleaning to prepare the wood floor for the new finish.

Tips & Warnings

• You should wear a respirator when working with flooring materials manufactured prior to 1984 because they may contain asbestos.

References

• FlooringGuide.com: Removing Linoleum from Hardwood Floors
• SearchWarp.com: How To Remove Linoleum | Some Easy Guidelines
• Ask the Builder: Adhesive Remover