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How To Remove Linoleum | Some Easy Guidelines
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By James McDonald
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If you are considering remodeling your home and want to know howto remove linoleum, here are some fairly simple steps to follow.One thing you need to consider though is that it can bedifficult work, depending on several factors. Should thelinoleum be old, the adhesive may not budge easily resulting inextra time and effort. In certain cases, if it's not cracking orheaving at all, you may choose to leave it underneath whateverelse will be laid down. However, most home owners choose tostart fresh which means a certain amount of physical labor, nomatter what method of removal you decide on.
For starters, you probably won't be able to completely removeall the linoleum and adhesive during the first pass. The type offlooring underneath can contribute to the problem as well,especially if it happens to be wood. Concrete floors cancertainly take more abuse than wooden ones, particularly if youare using a scraper. Try finding one with a good razor blade asthese are the most efficient, but be careful using it. It's easyto cut yourself when you are pushing it hard, and try to haveextra blades on hand as you most likely will break some.
One thing we recommend is to split the project up into sectionsand concentrate on one at a time. Try to cut the linoleum intothese strips or sections, and peel them back. You can apply morepressure to a smaller portion, giving you the required leverageto get most of the backing off. This should also make it easierto remove the adhesive underneath.
After you have finished the surface materials and are left withthe stubborn stuff, there are a couple things you can do to helpyour scraping efforts. Try to apply a solvent or remover productthat specializes in just this type of application. Many homeimprovement stores or departments will have several to choosefrom. Remember to start with small sections to not getoverwhelmed. Finish one and move on to the next.
If you want to try a homegrown solution, some people recommendusing hot or boiling water instead of the solvent. It can bepoured right on the adhesive backing, left to soak for a while,and finally scraped up. You can even put a towel down first,pour the water over it, let it set, then remove and scrape.Proceed cautiously with this method if you have a nice hardwoodfloor underneath to avoid warping.
Another technique that has been recommended by do it yourselfhomeowners is to first heat the adhesive with a hair dryer, thento scrape it up with a straight-blade scraper or something witha beveled edge. Should you be uncovering a hardwood floor, movethe scraper in the same direction as the grain of the wood.Since the shavings will be hot, be careful moving them and avoiddropping them back on the uncovered wood. Instead of using ahair dryer, you can also try a heat gun. We only recommend thisif you are experienced with it as it can damage the flooring youare trying to save. Either way, just keep the heated area smalland constantly move the heat source. Scraping quickly afterapplying the heat will be the most effective removal method.
Should you reach a point where you cannot remove any more of theold adhesive using the techniques described, you can try a lightsanding. Don't use a coarse sandpaper unless absolutelynecessary as this may damage the surface. You can also try tomop the residue off using rags dampened with turpentine, mineralspirits, or similar types of solvent. Once you are happy withthe way the floor looks you will be ready to either apply aseal, or some other type of covering.
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