Trying out a new floor? Or you want to make changes to an old linoleum floor which is probably damaged and needs changing.
If you are looking for the solution on how to remove glue from concrete floor after removing linoleum, chances are, you may be faced with having to remove glue used to bond the old linoleum to the concrete substrate in your home. Well, that’s where the problem lies, undoing the glue!
One of the challenges faced with concrete subfloors and linoleum is removing the glue adhesive used to hold your linoleum floor down.
Removing your old linoleum could only make things worse if old glue is not properly removed before laying on a new floor.
Even worst is when this adhesive is used on a concrete substrate which could leave your floors with wads of glue that can seem quite impossible to undo.
A basic solution to this will be to use scrapers, but this could be time-consuming, stressful, and most times ineffective!
Read: How get glue out of carpet
How to Remove Glue From Concrete Floor After Removing Linoleum
Table of Contents
Follow these tips to remove glue from the concrete floor after removing linoleum. Note, some of these tips are more effective if used side-by-side.
1. Scrape Glue Away
To remove glue from concrete, you may be required to use a simple lay-around tool like a hand scraper. Flooring experts recommend this as it is usually handy and quite effective in removing glue from your concrete floor after removing linoleum.
First, grab a scraper and tear down on the glue by working the scraper through the sides to eliminate loose glue gobs.
The deeper you go, the closer you will get to achieving a fine concrete substrate for your new flooring. But if this doesn’t work or seems a little painstaking, then you can try on a power scraper.
Although the basic toolbox set may not include a power scraper should the need arise. However, you can grab this from a tool rental store.
Related: How to remove tile adhesive
2. Wet Concrete Floor With Steaming Hot Water
Linoleum flooring is rooted to last well over 40 years. By the time you want to remove them, the adhesive used may have sat there for ages making it an impossible task to remove.
In such cases, try softening the glue on the concrete substrate first by steam cleaning the concrete floor with hot water.
Before you rush into pouring water on your floor, you want to make sure no exposed electrical cables are lying around.
Pour a decent amount of hot water on the floor and let it sit for a while so it can properly soften the glue, after which you can go ahead to use hand scrapers.
Read: Best vacuum for concrete floors
3. Heat Gun Could Do The Trick.
In cases where the hot water and hand scraper combination doesn’t seem to work, perhaps you can try using a tool with more lasting heat intensity like a heat gun.
Most glue leftovers will be removed with the aid of heat guns. Here’s what you need to do, put on the heat gun and have the heat vents pointed at the linoleum glue points to soften, followed by scraping the softened linoleum glue using a hand scraper.
4. Use Chemical Adhesive Remover
If you’re are working with linoleum flooring, chances are vinyl adhesives must have been used to hold down your flooring. In such cases, using a chemical adhesive cleaner is your best option.
Chemical adhesive cleaners work well when not diluted to keep their efficacy at maximum. Also, choosing an eco-friendly brand that matches your personality is a good way to go, as not everyone is okay having to deal with harsh chemical usage.
In order to obtain the best result, a basic rule of thumb will be to use 1 gallon of the chemical adhesive remover per 100 square feet and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before following through with a mild scrape using a hand scraper. This should eliminate every linoleum glue that remains on your concrete subfloor.
Related: How to remove adhesive from laminate flooring
Conclusion
To conclude, having your concrete floor covered in glue after removing linoleum can pose a threat to your potential floor altogether.
Having this removed on time will save you a lot of damages while providing you with a clean and fine substrate to lay on a new floor.
This article discusses effective tips on how to remove glue from concrete floor after removing linoleum so you can rid your floor of any glue residue before the installation of new flooring.