Removing linoleum

Removing linoleum from your home is quite a chore, a lot of it depending on what age the linoleum is, and the kind of adhesive used to glue it down. In some cases, if it's not cracking or heaving, some people choose to leave it underneath whatever else they are laying down. But, most home owners choose to start fresh, and that means a lot of elbow grease.

 It's unlikely that you'll be able to only remove the linoleum and adhesive all at once.  Wood flooring under the linoleum makes the removal a lot harder to do. Concrete floors can take a lot more in the way of rough treatment, including the type of scraper you use. Most people will use the straight hoe scrapers, and finish up with a razor blade. Be prepared to break some blades it if you're working on concrete.

 Try not to remove all the linoleum at once. You need to cut the linoleum into strips or sections, and peel the sections off one at a time.  Most of the surface will come up with the peeling and maybe a good portion of the backing if you are lucky. But usually the backing stays with the glue. This has to be scraped up.
There are two basic methods to help your scraping labors. One is to apply some solvent or remover. One brand is Krud Kutter, which seems to work very well. Follow directions on the label of whatever product you use, and wear gloves to care for your hands. Take it one section at a time, and then go to the next one.

I’ve had success with using nothing more than boiling or very hot water. I poured it directly on the backing and adhesive and let it soak, doing a small area at a time, and then scraped it up.  You can also fold an old towel and lay it on top of a section of adhesive, pour boiling water over it, let it set for a little while, remove and then scrape it up.

Another technique that may help you remove the glue, is to heat it. Pick a very inconspicuous area, such as behind a door, to try it. Heat the glue with a hair dryer and scrape it up with a scraper. Move the scraper in the direction of the wood grain if you are uncovering a hardwood floor. Have a container handy to drop the scrapings into - one that is unlikely to melt when coming in contact with hot materials.

You may want to go up to using a heat gun after you become comfortable with this procedure. If so, be cautious not to overheat the wood and scorch it. Also, using this technique may permit some of the softened mastic to run into the joints between the floorboards. Keeping the heated area small, and scraping as soon as possible will all help improve the outcome.

Keep in mind this will never eliminate all of the old adhesive. Trying to go that far is likely to harm the wood. Remove the quantity that will come up readily, sweep and vacuum, and think about your next step. In most cases a light sanding may be best. In other cases you may mop enough of the residue off with rags dampened with turpentine, mineral spirits or some similar solvent.  If you were going to apply a new covering that needed new mastic, wait until the floor dries and follow the directions on the adhesive can.