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Removing Linoleum Felt From a Sub Floor

Linoleum floors withstand heavy traffic and wear but become permanently damaged from scratches, stains and prolonged moisture exposure. Linoleum, like all flooring, eventually needs removing when it appears dingy or becomes too severely damaged for restoration. After linoleum flooring itself is removed, its felt backing typically remains stubbornly bonded to subfloors. Adhesives on the felt backing make subfloors sticky and uneven, inhibiting new flooring installation. Thoroughly remove linoleum felt backing from a subfloor to prepare for fresh flooring.

Things You'll Need

  • Old towels
  • Water pitcher
  • Long-handled garden edger
  • Broom
  • Wet/dry vacuum
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Instructions

    • 1

      Hire an asbestos professional to sample the felt backing if the linoleum was installed before 1980. If the sample contains asbestos, have the asbestos professional remove the felt backing.

    • 2

      Proceed with removing the felt backing if the sample reveals the linoleum felt does not contain asbestos. Begin by laying old towels over a 2-by-2-foot section of the felt backing.

    • 3

      Pour hot water from a water pitcher carefully onto the towels, fully saturating them. Let the moisture from the drenched towels permeate the linoleum felt for about 45 minutes.

    • 4

      Remove the wet towels from the felt backing. Scrape the softened felt off the subfloor using a long-handled garden edger.

    • 5

      Continue removing the remaining linoleum felt backing using the previous techniques. As before, focus on just one 2-by-2-foot section at once.

    • 6

      Sweep up the loosened felt backing fragments using a broom. Extract moistened felt particles with a wet/dry vacuum.

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Floor Repairs
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  2. Removing the Mortar Bed From a Shower Floor
  3. Removing Rusty Nail Marks from Hardwood Flooring
  4. Removing Adhesive From a Floor with 2-Sided Tape
  5. Removing Tar and Felt From Wood Floors
  6. Removing Latex Carpet Backing From Wood Floors
  7. Removing Linoleum Tiles From a Concrete Floor
  8. Removing Tar From Floor Tiles
  9. Removing Nail Polish From a Wood Floor
  10. How to Remove Carpet Backing From a Wood Floor
  11. Removing Adhesive Carpet Squares From Linoleum
  12. How to Cut Sub Flooring with Linoleum

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