How to Use Flooring Adhesive Remover

Flooring adhesive is commonly used to secure carpeting, linoleum tiles, or hardwood to the subfloor. Once you pull up the old carpet or other floor type, the adhesive may be left behind on the subfloor. You will need to remove the flooring adhesive completely before you can lay a new flooring. Flooring adhesive removers are chemical strippers that soften hard adhesive and allow you to scrape it away from the subfloor. Once it is rinsed and dried, the subfloor is then ready for new covering.

Carpenter's knife
Mop
Stiff bristle brush
Floor scraper
Water
Towels

Instructions

- 1
  Select an adhesive remover specified for use on your type of adhesive. There are removers for tile mastics, vinyl tile glue, carpet glue and other adhesives.
- 2
  Pull up the old carpet or hardwood floors. If you are removing adhesive from vinyl tiles and the tiles will not come up, use a carpenter's knife to cut the tiles into 2-inch squares so the adhesive remover can reach the glue.
- 3
  Pour the adhesive remover onto the flooring adhesive. Spread it over the glue with a mop. If you are removing ceramic tile mastic adhesive, spread it with a stiff-bristled brush.
- 4
  Let the adhesive sit according to the directions on the package, which will vary with the type of adhesive remover and the type of floor glue. The set time will be anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours.
- 5
  Scrape up the softened glue with a floor scraper. Rinse the area with clean water and dry it with clean towels.

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