Flooring Question

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Beginning 800 sq ft hardwood install. What is the best way to get vinyl flooring and the residual glue up?
Thanks

[Russianwolf]

Beginning 800 sq ft hardwood install. What is the best way to get vinyl flooring and the residual glue up?
Thanks

depends on what it's held down with.

If they used really good glue, then your best bet is to leave it down and just install over it. Otherwise, rent a floor scrapper and buy some Thermacare pads for your back and arms.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

If I leave it down how will the subfloors match up with the sheathing under the carpet being removed? Underlayment on the sheathing? And yes it is good glue (tried a small area and just the top came off). I forgot to mention that the runs go from vinyl to osb sheathing and are continuous. Also if I use underlayment what should I use? I understand there is an antimicrobial underlayment out there that could be beneficial if I experience water loss.

[RickD1]

I removed the kitchen and bath floors in my old house. I thought I was going to damage my shoulders, arms and wristsonly using a scraper. The easiest way I found, is to peel off as much of the top layer as possible. Usually if you get a corner you can get some long runs. After all of the top layer is off I was able to purchase some stuff at HD in the flooring section. Some type of adhesive release, water soluable to boot. I can't remember the name, but, it was a pleasure to work with. Like I said earlier, I though I was going to inflict serious physical damage to my self using pure manual labor. After putting down a coat of the adhesive release, and using a scraper, the stuff came up very easily. It turned the adhesive and paper into a kind of slurry. It was all easy to scrape and clean up. There were a few spots that required a second application, but eventually it all did come up.

[mschrank]

Beginning 800 sq ft hardwood install. What is the best way to get vinyl flooring and the residual glue up?
Thanks

Jeffrey, I've got about that much hardwood for sale. CHEAP Beautiful "massaranduba". Check my link: http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=27794

I removed the kitchen and bath floors in my old house. I thought I was going to damage my shoulders, arms and wristsonly using a scraper. The easiest way I found, is to peel off as much of the top layer as possible. Usually if you get a corner you can get some long runs. After all of the top layer is off I was able to purchase some stuff at HD in the flooring section. Some type of adhesive release, water soluable to boot. I can't remember the name, but, it was a pleasure to work with. Like I said earlier, I though I was going to inflict serious physical damage to my self using pure manual labor. After putting down a coat of the adhesive release, and using a scraper, the stuff came up very easily. It turned the adhesive and paper into a kind of slurry. It was all easy to scrape and clean up. There were a few spots that required a second application, but eventually it all did come up.

I'm also trying to remove vinyl sheet flooring from a concrete slab floor in prep to tile it. I can't put the tile directly over the vinyl, as it was already coming up in places. But where it's not coming up, it's a pain (literally) to remove. Any idea what the name of this "adhesive release" is?

[jrnewhall]

Years ago I had a temp job at Kodak breaking down and rebuilding research labs. It was like constant kitchen remodeling. To get up the tile squares, we let dry ice sit on the first row or two for a few minutes then push them up a row or two and pop of the cold tiles with a stiff putty knife and a tap of a hammer. The glue got brittle and broke leaving a clean enough floor to put down the next set of tiles. I don't know if that would work on sheet vinyl but it was very easy compared to scraping.

~JRN

[mschrank]

Update

I stopped by my friendly rental center over lunch break. Told the fella I wanted something I could plug in, stand up, and remove vinyl flooring from concrete.

He went in the back room and rolled out one of these:


It's an EDCO Tile Shark Floor Stripper. Has a 5" (+/-) blade that moves back & forth. Put it bevel side up for concrete, bevel side down for wood sub-floor.

I knew I had to get the vinyl up before Weds and was dreading it...now I can't wait to get home and plug in this bad boy

About $50.00 for 8 hours, but I would have gladly paid more.

[cwsmith]

Jeffrey,

Good luck on finding something efficient. I'll keep my eye on this thread to see what I might learn. I did the new home back last summer and it was one of the worst jobs I've faced. (not counting plumbing of course!) I ended up using a heat gun and a good stiff putty knife, but even that wasn't too successful. I finally had the contractor just rip up the underlament.

Actually the stuff around the edges and under the old cabinets came off without a lot of hassle; but where it was walked on, it needed the heat gun, muscle and tanacity.

By the way, I was told that some of these early vinyl and vinyl-like sheet floors incorporated asbestus in the backing material. Problem with that is identification. Even then, the manufacturers are quite resistant to providing any information. (Hearing that, is what persuaded me to have the contractor just rip up the underlayment.

CWS

[Jeffrey Schronce]

I stopped by my friendly rental center over lunch break. Told the fella I wanted something I could plug in, stand up, and remove vinyl flooring from concrete.

He went in the back room and rolled out one of these:
[ATTACH]4535[/ATTACH]

It's an EDCO Tile Shark Floor Stripper. Has a 5" (+/-) blade that moves back & forth. Put it bevel side up for concrete, bevel side down for wood sub-floor.

I knew I had to get the vinyl up before Weds and was dreading it...now I can't wait to get home and plug in this bad boy

About $50.00 for 8 hours, but I would have gladly paid more.

Please let me know how that works out! If it is pretty easy then I'm going that way. If it is not then I will likely go over the flooring and level other areas with underlayment.

BTW, for 3/4" hardwood cleats instead of staples right?

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Jeffrey,

Good luck on finding something efficient. I'll keep my eye on this thread to see what I might learn. I did the new home back last summer and it was one of the worst jobs I've faced. (not counting plumbing of course!) I ended up using a heat gun and a good stiff putty knife, but even that wasn't too successful. I finally had the contractor just rip up the underlament.

Actually the stuff around the edges and under the old cabinets came off without a lot of hassle; but where it was walked on, it needed the heat gun, muscle and tanacity.

By the way, I was told that some of these early vinyl and vinyl-like sheet floors incorporated asbestus in the backing material. Problem with that is identification. Even then, the manufacturers are quite resistant to providing any information. (Hearing that, is what persuaded me to have the contractor just rip up the underlayment.

CWS

If the above cited machine is not effective then I will leave the vinyl in place. It is 7 years old so no worry about asbestos.

[mschrank]

Please let me know how that works out! If it is pretty easy then I'm going that way. If it is not then I will likely go over the flooring and level other areas with underlayment.

BTW, for 3/4" hardwood cleats instead of staples right?

It worked pretty well. There was still about a 1/16" of the vinyl backing that I couldn't get up in the middle of the room in the main traffic area. I left that for the contractor to deal with

All in all I would say it was worth it. The palm of my right hand is still tender from using the hand scraper that I initially started with, so pushing the Tile Shark around was a welcome reprieve. I wasn't able to take huge bites with it...kind nibbled away at it an inch or two at a pass. It's really heavy, so that helps. If you have a bit of "winter weight" it would be an advantage


Regarding cleats vs. staples: The instructions that came with my flooring said cleats were preferred, but staples are OK.

[Jeffrey Schronce]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Sometimes things work out well for me! About time I caught a break on a home improvement project! There is a 1/8th" underlayment under the vinyl in the hall and kitchen! I started pulling carpet back and notice that the vinyl was WAY higher than the subflooring where I pulled the carpet back. Pulled the vinyl up and found thin underlayment. It is stapled down and is easy to get up! Rock!

So . . . cleats or staples for flooring? I am assuming cleats with the OSB underlayment?