How to Remove Square Linoleum From the Floor

Linoleum adhesive bonds to the subfloor.

Linoleum squares are usually 12-inch squares glued to the floor with a very strong linoleum or vinyl adhesive. After a short while, the adhesive literally bonds the linoleum to the floor, thus making it very difficult to get the linoleum square back off the floor when you want to renovate your kitchen or bathroom. Most floors are made of hardwood, plywood or concrete. You can use the same process for removing linoleum squares from each type of sub floor.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver or claw hammer
• Blow dryer
• Putty knife

Instructions

1. Remove the metal floor strip that covers the joint between the linoleum flooring and the flooring in the next room. Depending on the type of strip you have, use a screwdriver to remove the fasteners or use a claw hammer to pry the nails out of the strip. This will expose the end of the linoleum squares.

2. Heat a single linoleum square with a blow dryer. Hold the blow dryer approximately six to eight inches above the surface of the floor and rotate the blow dryer over the entire surface. This will make the adhesive tacky and pliable.

3. Wedge a putty knife between the tile and the sub floor and pry the tile upward. Once you have the putty knife between the tile and the sub floor, you can use a hammer to tap the putty knife to advance it under the tile.

4. Repeat the process with each tile on the floor.

References

• Improve Net:Removing Linoleum or Vinyl Flooring and Glue; Jeff Williams