Trying to rip up floor...problems?
Question:Im redoing the kicthen, there are 2 old layers of faux-tile vinyl-ish type flooring glued down to the plywood flooring beneath. We are doing it very nicely and are getting expensive tiling done, but need to get down to the wood again. I have tried using an edger to scrape or pry the flooring up but they barely scratch it, theyre stuck REALLY well. Is there a chemical or solution that will soften this up without damaging the plywood?
Am I better off just ripping out the wood and putting in new plywood floors?
Answers:
All valid answers so far. I offer my thoughts.
In truth you'd be better off sacrificing an inch to add a new substrate, after removing the faux stuff. You should be removing cove base molding anyway, and install a concrete backer board, perhaps 1/4 or 1/2 thick over the existing substrate.
Seal the seams and screw holes and allow that the tiling contractors will know what to do. The loss in space to the ceiling with the new substrate, plus the 1/4 mortar thickness and maybe 3/8 tile thickness, shouldn't be noticeable once the job is done.
Steven Wolf
most glues will loosen up with a heat gun
Plywood is relatively cheap. You need to decide what is more important to you: your time or your money. Plywood will probably run you 50 cents a square foot.
Try using the heat gun. To remove the subfloor and replace isn't impossible, but it's a pain and will make a terrible mess. Heat guns cause the glue to get extremely dry and brittle, then scrape.
I wouldn't remove the tile. If the plywood floor is good and the tile is really stuck well then I would simply screw the backer board over the existing floor and seal the seams. You will not notice any difference in outcome of floor.
steven is right
I believe when I came across a similar problem, there is an item that heats up the tiles so they no longer stick and pop off. Check with your local do-it-yourself tile distributor.
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