How to Clean Vinyl Tile Mastic off Concrete

Adhesive remover quickly dissolves vinyl tile mastic on a concrete floor.

Once you pull the tile off your concrete floor, you're left with the hard mastic underneath. Vinyl tile mastic clings to the concrete floor durably and no amount of scraping or sweating will help you chip it all up. Save yourself time and energy and apply an adhesive remover to the floor. Available at most home and garden or flooring stores, this adhesive is easy to apply and quickly softens vinyl tile mastic, making it easy to remove.

Things You'll Need

• Adhesive remover
• Squeegee
• Sponge mop
• Bucket
• Trash can with liner
• Breathing mask
• Large fan

Instructions

1. Shake the can of adhesive solvent well before opening.

2. Open the windows and put on your mask. Place a large fan in the room to help air circulate.

3. Spread the mastic out over a 5-square-foot section of the concrete floor using your sponge mop or squeegee. Make sure to cover large chunks of mastic with a generous layer of adhesive. Try not to go over 5 square feet. Keeping the application area to this size allows you to apply and remove the remover effectively.

4. Allow the remover to sit for the amount of time recommended by the manufacturer -- usually 15 minutes to one hour. Leave the room while the remover does its work to give your lungs a break.

5. Rinse the squeegee or sponge mop immediately after you finish applying the remover. Do not let it harden.

6. Remove the remover and the now soft vinyl tile mastic off the floor with the squeegee. Dump the mastic you lift off the floor into the lined trash can.

7. Fill a bucket with water and mop the floor with water or the solvent neutralizer recommended by the manufacturer.

8. Reapply the remover to any spots of mastic that the remover failed to remove. Don't forget to wipe with the neutralizing solvent after the application.

9. Reapply the remover to the next 5-square-foot section of the floor following the above steps. Repeat until you've cleared the entire concrete floor vinyl tile mastic.

10. Mop the whole floor with soapy water.

References

• Family Handyman; How to Lay a Vinyl Tile Floor; November 2001
• "Repair and Renovate: Floors and Stairs"; Mark Corke; 2002