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Best way to remove old adhesive?

tania87
Just Starting Out

Best way to remove old adhesive?

Hi, we are replacing our vinyl floor tiles with vinyl plank flooring this weekend. We have removed the old tiles but wanting some advice on the easiest way to remove all of the adhesive/glue beforehand. Thanks

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Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Best way to remove old adhesive?

Hi @tania87,

 

A very warm welcome to the Workshop community. We're rapt to have you join us and look forward to seeing your new floor project come to fruition - hopefully with plenty of help and advice from our amazing members along the way. 

 

Let me tag a couple of very helpful members in @gippslandhome and @PJA who might like to kick off the discussion for you. 

 

Jason

 

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wooshka
Making a Splash

Re: Best way to remove old adhesive?

Fun Job you have there Tania87! , i would give a heat gun a try with a decent scraper that doesn't flex to much , sanding will do it to but your pads will clog quickly 

MitchellMc
Bunnings Team Member
Bunnings Team Member

Re: Best way to remove old adhesive?

Welcome to the Workshop community @tania87 , it’s great to have you join us. Many thanks for your question – I’m sure this is a common challenge.

 

My advice would be to begin by removing as much glue as possible with a scraper. Some options to make life easier include a Heavy Duty Floor Scraper and Floor and Wall Scraper.

 

Depending on how old the glue is you may find it necessary to apply heat. This product would be suitable - Ryobi Corded Heat Gun. Apply the heat over a 30cm x 30cm patch for one minute, then try scraping the glue in that area.

 

If you find it hard to remove with heat, a chemical softening agent would assist in breaking down the glue. Acetone Cleaning Solvent could be used. Apply to a small area, wait for five minutes then attempt to scrape the glue off. Remember that when using solvents it is advisable to wear chemical gloves, respirator and eye protection, as well as ventilating the room as much as possible.

 

If the glue is still stubborn, another option would be to hire a floor sander and utilise a coarse grit sandpaper. As @wooshka suggested, the sandpaper will clog up quickly. I would advise 40-80 grit sand paper to avoid heavy clogging and excessive use of pads.

 

We look forward to hearing how you progress with this project and would very much like to see the finished floor when you are done. And please let us know if you need anything further.

 

Mitchell

 

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