How to remove one piece vinyl

[Illini Pete]

Hi Guys,
Haven't been here for a while but have gotten great advice in the past. Current project is a kitchen revival including new floor. Plan to install peel and stick vinyl tile, grouted, which I put in my basement about 10 years ago and looks great. Current kitchen floor is one piece vinyl which I think some call sheet vinyl which is about 20 years old. Armstrong and others say peel and stick vinyl tiles can go right over the vinyl sheet but I've got 1/4" plywood over OSB under the vinyl and for various reasons have decided to strip the vinyl and lay the tile on the plywood after sealing it. I was hoping the vinyl was not glued down but as I begin to remove it, it looks like it's cemented. I'm hoping the vinyl is only cemented around the outer few feet perimeter but that's probably too much to hope for. I've got a few square feet removed and the vinyl comes right up but separates leaving paper-like backing that that is glued to the floor. I'm scraping with a wood chisel a couple of inches wide and a broad putty knife but at the rate I'm going the 150 sq ft will take until spring. Any suggestions on how to remove this paper backing/cement? Is there something like mineral spirits, TSP or whatever that will soften it up and make it easier to scrape?

Thanks!
Pete

 

[mike93lx]

I've used an sds with a scraper blade as well as a flat bottom shovel. I've also always removed the plywood backer and started fresh. I haven't seen a benefit for doing anything less than that

 

[duneslider]

Google, Razor Floor Scraper. That is what I use for this. Still a bit of work but not horrible. Around here I have never seen plywood used. Usually it is particle board or luan, I always tear that **** up.

 

[billconner]

I think if doing whole kitchen, you'd be better off replacing underlayment.

 

[Illini Pete]

Thanks Guys!
Dumb question, but what is an "sds" Mike?

I know others often replace the underpayment but if you saw my kitchen which is as far from square or rectangular as you can get, you wouldn't think of removing and replacing the underlayment/1/4" plywood/Luan. And what's there now looks to be in good shape.

I tried some TSP and water and a het gun on low those seemed to help a little. I'm always leery of using a heat gun indoors and using too much water and damaging the underlayment so I may not be getting the full benefit yet.

Thanks again,
Pete

 

[mike93lx]

Thanks Guys!
Dumb question, but what is an "sds" Mike?

I know others often replace the underpayment but if you saw my kitchen which is as far from square or rectangular as you can get, you wouldn't think of removing and replacing the underlayment/1/4" plywood/Luan. And what's there now looks to be in good shape.

I tried some TSP and water and a het gun on low those seemed to help a little. I'm always leery of using a heat gun indoors and using too much water and damaging the underlayment so I may not be getting the full benefit yet.

Thanks again,
Pete

Sds rotary hammer. Think big hammer drill for concrete. They will have a hammer-only mode that allows you to use scrapers and chisels.

Regardless of shape, I would remove. No way I would clean up a bunch of adhesive to avoid fitting a few pieces of underlayment plywood

 

[Jim greengo]

Propane torch and a putty knife.

 

[Illini Pete]

Propane torch and a putty knife.

On wood? No thanks. If it was a concrete floor, OK

 

[Jim greengo]

On wood? No thanks. If it was a concrete floor, OK

I've taken them off of wooden floors that way for years.
Your only getting the vinyl warm enough to soften up the glue is all,no reason to get it hot enough to hurt the wood.

 

[Illini Pete]

Sds rotary hammer. Think big hammer drill for concrete. They will have a hammer-only mode that allows you to use scrapers and chisels.

Regardless of shape, I would remove. No way I would clean up a bunch of adhesive to avoid fitting a few pieces of underlayment plywood

I'll see if my hammer drill has a hammer mode. Also have an oscillating saw that I can put a scraper blade in.
I've got about 170 sq ft so it would take more than a few pieces. And I hear pulling up the old with a million stabes in it ain't a walk in the park.
Thanks, Pete

 

[Illini Pete]

I've taken them off of wooden floors that way for years.
Your only getting the vinyl warm enough to soften up the glue is all,no reason to get it hot enough to hurt the wood.

Thanks Jim. You give me more confidence in using my heat gun!
Pete

 

[rancherbill]

.....I've got 1/4" plywood over OSB under the vinyl......

The plywood has to ripped out. It would be impossible to rip up the vinyl and hope to end up with a flat surface. Peel and stick will be up and down on an uneven surface and in addition they will reflect the light differently.

Set your Skill saw to 1/4" + plus the thickness of the vinyl and cut it and take it all out. New subfloor and you will have a great job.

 

[billconner]

Not sure it will work for what you have but I removed vinyl tile from a maple t&g floor using a cookie sheet with a block of dry ice and a 6" drywall putty knife. Worked good. Only mention it as being very safe compared to torches and even heat guns.

 

[billconner]

The plywood has to ripped out.

Last year I removed a laminate floor and reused 1/4" ply underlayment for glue down cork tile. No problems. I did go over it carefully for nails and such, and patched one area (because of a sub floor irregularity.) It depends on condition of the underlayment.

 

[mike93lx]

I'll see if my hammer drill has a hammer mode. Also have an oscillating saw that I can put a scraper blade in.
I've got about 170 sq ft so it would take more than a few pieces. And I hear pulling up the old with a million stabes in it ain't a walk in the park.
Thanks, Pete

If it's a normal looking drill with a hammer drill mode, forget it. Google sds plus demo hammer. That's what I'm talking about. And oscillating tool is a waste of time for this, too

It's not a big deal, really. Pry it up. 170sq ft is only 6 sheets, maybe 7 with waste.

Do what works, but I've been there. You won't regret ripping it up.

 

[rancherbill]

Last year I removed a laminate floor and reused 1/4" ply underlayment for glue down cork tile. No problems. I did go over it carefully for nails and such, and patched one area (because of a sub floor irregularity.) It depends on condition of the underlayment.

Here, a laminate floor is not glued down. Taking glued product off is very hard. My BIL spent a whole Saturday trying to get glued product off a floor and was half done. I saw him that evening and told him he was supposed to remove the subflooring also. On Sunday by noon, they had all the old floor off, had gotten some new plywood and had it installed.

 

[The Cobbler]

get under your 1/4" underlay and pry it up with a few long bars . new underlay,nail & prep according to floor directions & lay your floor

 

[PassnThru]

The underlayment in my house is particle board - glued to the subfloor. You have to go down to the joists.
Not fun.

 

[mike93lx]

The underlayment in my house is particle board - glued to the subfloor. You have to go down to the joists.
Not fun.

Not fun. But worth it. Anything with grout needs to be solid and flat.

 

[nickelTwin]

I would use a quality underlayment or cement board under tile. Especially on a floor that could flex built on floor joists.

 

[PassnThru]

Not fun. But worth it. Anything with grout needs to be solid and flat.

True - in my case I was replacing a vinyl floor with another vinyl floor but the underlayment had some water damaged spots. Since it was glued, I had no choice but to rip everything out to the joists. Just mentioning it for those suggesting replacing the underlayment. OP should be aware that sometimes it's glued so test in a corner somewhere before committing.

 

[nadogail]

After once screwing up a floor job I now call in a Professional so that I can blame them for any thing that goes wrong.