Best way to proceed with old vinyl flooring


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Old 11-22-09, 10:11 AM
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Best way to proceed with old vinyl flooring

I'm getting really frustrated and about to throw in the white flag and pay some $$ just to finish this!

In the kitchen, there was 25 year old linoleum and on top of that 3 year old vinyl flooring glued to it. It came up fairly easy, so we started laying down our floating laminate down. Then we got to the halways which connects to the kitchen and the vinyl is very very hard to get up, taking up pieces of the plywood subfloor in the process. The onlyway to get it off is to use a hair dryer and heat it up for a while and then hammer it away with a putty knife.

So I have a 2x2 section in the halways removed and all of the kitchen. I still have another 170 sq ft to go with the dining room and the rest of the hallway. I need some suggestions on my best way to go. I'm tempted to build up the areas I've removed to the current vinlyl and lay on top of everything. Or I just press on and remove the rest of the flooring, but taking my sweet time (1-2 weeks) as I can only stand so much time hammering away at every inch.

If I hired a professional to come in and finish the job, what would they do?

Ugh, just need some insight so I can get this done!

I'm also thinking of buying a heat gun and scorching the old vinyl. Will this help it come off better and faster than using the hair dryer?
 

Last edited by PokerMunkee; 11-22-09 at 10:31 AM.
  #2  
Old 11-23-09, 10:22 AM
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If I have it correct, you removed the old flooring (vinyl and linoleum) in the kitchen and are down to a plywood base. You're know in the hallway where there is only a vinyl layer but removing the vinyl is time intensive andcausing damage to the plywood subfloor.

Would it be easier/faster to get under the plywood and just pull that up (with the vinyl attached) and then just replace the plywood? Sounds like you're going to have to patch it anyway. You may have to score the flooring with a circular saw at the proper depth allowing you to work in managable sections.

Also, just curious, is there a reason you started putting down the new flooring before having the entire area prepped? I would be afraid of damaging the new floor.
 
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Old 11-23-09, 11:41 AM
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Removing sheet vinyl flooring

I'd say you've got the right idea just not enough fire power. I recently removed glued down vinyl over plywood from a bathroom floor and found a heat/paint stripper gun did the trick. You don't need to scorch it, although I did in spots, just get it hot and slide a putty knife between the sheet and underlayment. I'm currently doing a kitchen and dining room that is vinyl over plywood in the kitchen and over particle board in the dining room. Fortunately these rooms were only glued around the edges and it's going quickly. You probably could use a propane torch with a paint stripping nozzle but I'd be afraid of fire. You could try a small section to see if more heat is the answer before buying an electric heat gun. You'll need a pair of gloves too. Good Luck.
 
 

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