funny - a flooring section! Self level over really stuck vinyl tiles?

[CamaroMan]

Moving into a new shop and there are really stuck vinyl tiles with currently 1/4" room for self leveling cement floor. This is not a heavy use area - just basically an entrance to walk on. They are not peeling at all and are superbly stuck- cant even get a hand scraper underneath- it would require near jack hammering to remove.

my one thought was the vinyl wd be a great moisture barrier and due to the roughness of the scfribed carpet glue would aid in the cement keying and grabbing a hold. i would 1/4" would be sufficient for light use?

I would use a primer over the top first-

AI agrees?

 

[BillK]

Is there something wrong with the tiles that are there ? I would think any type of "poured" cement at only 1/4" thick would crack very easily. Are you planning to put something over that ?

 

[CamaroMan]

no but they are ugly due to carpet glue over the top - and **** up against a 4ft strip of tile we are removing- so we might end up in the 3/8" possibly even 1/2" thick range more so. ive moved shop and this will be front of house - wont see a lot of traffic- below vinyl is concrete slab so zero deformation possible unlike a wood floor.

Once dry ill seal the cement as i like the look-

 

[Shea]

Don't confuse self-leveling overlays for indoor flooring with polymer-modified cement overlays. Self-leveling overlays, like those sold in home improvement centers, are not intended as a wear surface and can't be sealed or coated. It's one of the first sets of limitations listed in the technical data sheets.

Some self-leveling cement products, such as Ardex, can be applied over vinyl tiles. However, it requires scuffing up the surface to remove all glues and other contaminants that the cement won't adhere to. Read the technical data sheets for product installation carefully and call the toll-free help line if you have questions.

 

[cvairwerks]

A good heat gun and a long handled push scraper should take those tile up in a hurry.

 

[The Cobbler]

A good heat gun and a long handled push scraper should take those tile up in a hurry.

and leave a nasty glue residue behind , they sound like peel & stick tiles

 

[rlitman]

...my one thought was the vinyl wd be a great moisture barrier...

That's not good, because moisture will hurt the adhesive between the tile and whatever's under it (assuming concrete).

 

[gleman]

Rent one of these.



1/4" is too shallow for me. I'd scrape down and get to a clean surface.

 

[duneslider]

Are they vinyl tiles, or vct? I wouldn't even consider putting anything over a vinyl tile, frankly not over vct either.

Heat is your friend for removing these tiles though. If it is vinyl tile then heat gun, if it is vct you can use a heat gun or use a weed burner torch to move quicker. Or rent one of those electric scrapers like posted above.

 

[Fav Onefour]

I'd do it right and be done. Take the extra time to chip, scrape, and clean all the old junk off your slab. I bet the worst tiles will be right where they had the most foot traffic.

You are already fighting the last hack repair with glue on top of the tiles. Why add more hassle to the next time?

I have torn out way too many multi layer floors that were created by shortcut repair - remodels. It *****. Most of those floors have multiple layers of failure that were simply covered with the next layer. I will never create that type of mess for myself so I do the extra work and get down to clean substrate.

 

[75gmck25]

When they removed the tiles from our basement floor they used a variation of the product below, and a big water vacuum to **** up the mastic residue. The advantage of this product is that it is not petroleum based, so once it dries you can paint right over it, or put down the primer they sell for self-leveling concrete.

BLUE BEAR® BEAN•e•doo® Mastic Remover

Clean and restore concrete surfaces without hazardous chemicals! BLUE BEAR® BEAN•e•doo® Mastic Remover lets you tackle projects like a pro! Our fast-acting formula softens tough mastics (including black mastic with asbestos) and other tile/carpet adhesives - even if they are decades old. Free of...

products.franmar.com

 

[Prospecter]

Two cautions based on a miserable experience.
1. Consider the possibility of asbestos, particularly for 8 or 9" tiles.
2. Petroleum based products used to remove mastic can soak into the concrete, and then off gas VOCs for a very long time. Enough to cause headaches and nausea. I won't go into the details of the experience other than to say it was miserable for the folks trying to work in that building afterwards.