Removing Hard-to-Remove Linoleum Remnants
Our contractor has not been able to get these bits of old linoleum off the wood floor in one corner of what will be our living room. Big bummer. Anyone have any special tips? We not thrilled with living with this crap on the floor or the alternative of replacing the floor. There has to…
Our contractor has not been able to get these bits of old linoleum off the wood floor in one corner of what will be our living room. Big bummer. Anyone have any special tips? We not thrilled with living with this crap on the floor or the alternative of replacing the floor. There has to be some secret technique…
we just recently had to remove linoleum that covered our hard word floors. Take some water and spray liberally on the linoleum. Let soak for about 10 minutes. Use a scraper to scrape off the linoleum. Make sure the linoleum is still wet when you do this. This worked for me… Good Luck.
We have the same problem but have not got around to fixing it yet. Two separate individuals who work on these old houses and saw our place recommended the dry ice too – said it was really easy and fast that way. Just wondering where to get it and to use it safely.
Great blog – thanks.
The adhesive used to apply linoleum was often hide glue, like DuPages cement only a lot more concentrated. (Sort of like rabbit skin glue used in the classic method for priming artists canvases.) It can be dissolved with water. You have to work fast. I have often used hot water, a scraper and then a blow dryer because you can warp the floor. Don’t work on one area for too long. Move around a little so the floor doesn’t saturate.
I successfully removed every last freaking piece of the shittiest linoleum in an old apartment with a crappy iron on the hottest setting. I set the iron atop a sheet of paper on top of the squares of grossness. once it got hot enough to melt the shit underneath, i peeled it up with pennies stuck to my fingers for protection as the iron slowly slid to heat up the next square. Afterwards, the floors were so sticky I would literally walk out of my shoes going to the loo. a nice helping of flour kept that at bay until I had the time and money to get them professionally refinished. But they sure looked fantastic.
Thank G-D they put down plywood first before they put down the linoleum in my bedrooms. Took me months to get it all up. The floors have holes from the nails but it adds to the 100+ year old cachet of the house and they look great.
PS Love your blog.
i just removed that jusnk on my wood floors, go buy “krud kutter” from home depot or your local paint store. its a non solvent cleaner brush it on let it soak for 15-20 minutes, it scrapes up like butter with a putty knife. krud kutter only costs like 15 bucks a gallon.
http://www.franmar.com has a soy-based remover specifically made for this. I’ve been using their paint stripper (Bean E Strip) and the adhesive remover for several years now, and love them. Amazing stuff – doesn’t burn, and eco-friendly.
Whatever method you choose (or not) keep in mind that old linoleum often contains asbestos. It is not as friable (and thus dangerous) as insulation, but still something to consider.
Try dry ice. I believe I saw that recommended on This Old House.
Good luck!