# Removing Tar Paper Underlay From Old Floors
Placed on top of wood or cement floors, tar paper acts as a moisture barrier and usually covers old flooring before installing the new tiles or linoleum. The tar paper adheres to the old floor creating a strong bond. Before installing a new floor, you must remove the old underlay. Removing tar paper from old floors is a difficult process that takes time and hard work. However, with the proper tools you can safely remove the tar paper without damaging the wood.
Things You'll Need
- Rubber gloves
- Mineral spirits
- Small bucket
- Paint brush
- Putty knife
- Paper towels
- Lacquer thinner
- Cloths
- Acetone
Instructions
-
-
1
Open the windows in the room you are working in and put on rubber gloves. Pour mineral spirits in a small bucket. Saturate a paintbrush in the mineral spirits.
-
2
Brush the liquid directly on a small section of the tar paper until it is thoroughly saturated with the mineral spirits.
-
3
Scrape the saturated tar paper off the old floor with a putty knife. Wipe the putty knife clean with paper towels.
-
4
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you have removed the tar paper off the floor. Saturate any lingering tar paper with lacquer thinner and wait 10 to 14 minutes before scraping with a paint scraper.
-
5
Remove any lingering adhesive with a cloth dampened with acetone. Rinse the floors with a clean, damp cloth.
-
1
House Cleaning
- Removing Border Paper From Wall
- Removing Scratches From Tigerwood Floors
- Removing Tar and Felt From Wood Floors
- Removing General Carpet Adhesive From Oak Floors
- Removing Patina From Old Wood
- Removing Old, Dry Adhesive From Wood Floors
- Removing Etched Marks From Travertine Floors
- Removing Stains From Rice Paper on a Room Divider
- Removing a Sticky Tar Substance From the Carpet
- Removing Scuff Marks From a Walker on Hardwood Floors
- Removing Tar From Floor Tiles
- Removing Old Tar Roofs
