On 2/12/06 6:50 PM, in article ,
"NatlHomeServices" wrote:

snip

Hello, I'm building a kitchen in my basement and would like to put down
peel and stick vinyl tiles for the floor. I pulled out the old carpet
which was glued down, and it came off fairly easy. However, there is a
layer of glue on top of the concrete which is not easy to remove. It's
about 1mm thick. I bought a 14" floor scraper which isn't good for
taking all the glue off the concrete, but it does a good job of
knocking the ridges off the glue so I'm left with a smooth surface of
old glue on concrete.

I went through this same thing. I was at first concerned about the leftover
mastic. I used a 6" scraper screwed to a broom handle and scraped the whole
thing best I could.


My question is, is it okay to install peel and stick vinyl tiles over
this smooth glue surface? I tried putting a test tile down on the
floor, standing on it for a few seconds and then trying to peel it off.
I could just barely get it off with my fingers, and I have pretty
strong hands. I tried the same test in an area where I had cleaned off
the glue with a belt sander and I couldn't really get it off with my
fingers, the tile was breaking off in chunks and I had to use a
scraper. Is it normal for you to be able to get a peel and stick vinyl
tile off the floor with your fingers 30 seconds after you laid it down
and stood on it?

Different brands have different adhesion. When I did mine the manufacturer
recommended priming the floor with vinyl adhesive. I used a roller and found
out about a year later that you want to use as little as possible (don't
just splash it down). Eventually the extra glue comes up through the seams
of the tiles and everything that hits the floor gets stuck to it making
black seams. I think now I would try latex primer/sealer. The last floor I
did recommended using that but I used the glue (and got it right that time).

My other options is to just put down a sheet of vinyl, which should go
down fine over the surface as it is right now, but it would be a little
more expensive and since this will be a rental suite I like the idea of
being able to replace individual ruined tiles for about $1.00 each.

Good tiles are just short of indestructible when they are installed
properly. And if you can get one off should it become damaged you save a lot
of money. You'll be using that flat screwdriver and a hammer to do it
though.