Remove Vinyl Tile Adhesive From Concrete Floor

Scrape the glue and adhesive remover from the floor with a paint scraper.

Remove vinyl tile adhesive from concrete floor.

After the adhesive has been successfully cleared away it s time to wash the concrete. Keep a small trash can next to you while you are scraping to make cleanup a cinch. The same quality that makes tile adhesive so reliable can make it a real pain in the rear end when you want to install new tiles especially if the original floor is concrete. Use a mild soap and water solution with a long handled scrub brush to thoroughly clean the entire floor.

If that doesn t get the glue off you will need to use a commercial adhesive stripper to soften and remove the glue. To remove old resilient flooring first cut it into parallel strips about 6 inches wide with a utility knife. There will be excess glue and adhesive remover to throw away. However getting the adhesive off the concrete may prove to be more difficult.

Use a 3 4 or 1 in. Masonry chisel and a 2 lb. Start by scraping the glue with a pry bar or scraper. Scrape linoleum or vinyl floor glue.

With a putty knife peel up a corner of a tile or with a utility knife cut into the vinyl to begin removal of the flooring. Additional tips for specific adhesives. Work the chisel under the tiles forcing them loose. Strike the face of stubborn tiles to break them up for easier removal.

Finally wipe up any loose adhesive bits with an absorbent cloth. Start at a broken tile or between tiles where the grout has loosened. Sometimes heat and water are not enough to soften very old mastic and vinyl tile adhesive. The glue should easily come off the floor if allowed to sit on the adhesive long enough.

In these cases a solvent is needed to break down the glue so it can be scraped up. Step 4 wash the floor. Pull the linoleum up in strips to reveal the backing or the glue. So how do you remove floor tile adhesive from a concrete floor.

For stubborn vinyl and glue that is stuck to the floor use a heat gun to soften the plastic flooring and adhesive. Either lift vinyl with a floor scraper or cut manageable pieces to remove as much vinyl flooring as possible. Removing vinyl from concrete is similar to removing it from subfloor.