When old floor coverings must be removed—as is the case with many projects—thorough and careful removal work is essential to the quality of the new flooring installation.
The difficulty of flooring removal depends on the type of floor covering and the method which was used to install it. Carpet and perimeter-bond vinyl are generally quite easy to remove, and vinyl tiles are relatively simple. Full-spread sheet vinyl can be difficult to remove, however, and removing ceramic tile is a lot of work.
With any removal project, be sure to keep your tool blades sharp and avoid damaging the underlayment if you plan to reuse it. If you’ll be replacing the underlayment, it may be easier to remove the old underlayment along with the floor covering.
Tools: Floor scraper, utility knife, spray bottle, wallboard knife, wet/dry vacuum, heat gun, hand maul, masonry chisel, flat pry bar, end-cutting nippers.Tips for Preparing Trim for Tile Installation
To remove baseboards, place a scrap board against the wall to avoid damaging the drywall. Remove the baseboard using a pry bar placed against the scrap board. Pry the baseboard at all nail locations. Number the baseboards as they are removed.
To prepare door jambs, measure the height of your underlayment and tile and mark the casing. Using a jamb saw, cut the casing at the mark.
To test the height of the door jamb, slide a piece of flooring under the door, jamb to make sure it fits easily.
Removing Sheet Vinyl
Remove base moldings, if necessary. Use a utility knife to cut old flooring into strips about a foot wide.
Pull up as much flooring as possible by hand, gripping the strips close to the floor to minimize tearing.
Cut stubborn sheet vinyl into strips about 5″ wide. Starting at a wall, peel up as much of the floor covering as possible. If the felt backing remains, spray a solution of water and liquid dishwashing detergent under the surface layer to help separate the backing. Use a wallboard knife to scrape up particularly stubborn patches.
Scrape up the remaining sheet vinyl and backing, using a floor scraper. If necessary, spray the backing again with the soap solution to loosen it. Sweep up the debris, then finish the cleanup with a wet/dry vacuum. TIP: Fill the vacuum with about an inch of water to help contain dust.
Removing Vinyl Tiles
Remove base moldings, if necessary. Starting at a loose seam, use a long-handled floor scraper to remove tiles. To remove stubborn tiles, soften the adhesive with a heat gun, then use a wallboard knife to pry up the tile and scrape off the underlying adhesive.
Remove stubborn adhesive or backing by wetting the floor with a water/detergent mixture, then scraping with a floor scraper.
Removing Ceramic Tile
Remove base moldings, if necessary. Knock out tile using a hand maul and masonry chisel. If possible, start in a space between tiles where the grout has loosened. Be careful when working around fragile fixtures, such as drain flanges.
If you plan to reuse the underlayment, use a floor scraper to remove any remaining adhesive. You may have to use a belt sander with a coarse sanding belt to grind off stubborn adhesive.
Removing Carpet
Using a utility knife, cut around metal threshold strips to free the carpet. Remove the threshold strips with a flat pry bar.
Cut the carpet into pieces small enough to be easily removed. Roll up the carpet and remove it from the room, then remove the padding. NOTE: Padding often is stapled to the floor, and usually will come up in pieces as you roll it up.
Using end-cutting nippers or pliers, remove all staples from the floor. TIP: If you plan to lay new carpet, do not remove the tackless strips unless they are damaged.
