I have some old commercial vinyl tile I'm taking up.

I've noticed this is impossible without adding heat. How is this
typically done. The electric heat gun was slow and hot! Currently I'm
leaving an iron on a patch and using a machete to lift it off. That
still takes a minute or two per tile. Softening temp seems to be around
170F.

Surely this is often done and there are faster methods.

Jeff

Jeff Thies wrote:
I have some old commercial vinyl tile I'm taking up.

I've noticed this is impossible without adding heat. How is this
typically done. The electric heat gun was slow and hot! Currently I'm
leaving an iron on a patch and using a machete to lift it off. That
still takes a minute or two per tile. Softening temp seems to be
around 170F.

Surely this is often done and there are faster methods.


Pneumatic tile scraper?
http://www.harborfreight.com/long-re...per-37073.html

Might be able to rent one... You'll only need it for thirty minutes.

Jeff Thies wrote:

I have some old commercial vinyl tile I'm taking up.

I've noticed this is impossible without adding heat. How is this
typically done. The electric heat gun was slow and hot! Currently I'm
leaving an iron on a patch and using a machete to lift it off. That
still takes a minute or two per tile. Softening temp seems to be around
170F.

Surely this is often done and there are faster methods.

Heat guns and irons are good for a couple tiles. If you're doing a
room or 2- go rent a power scraper. Not the one on a long handle-
[though that might do it & you can get a HF for about $100 if you have
a honking compressor] this one looks like a drum sander. Ask your
rental place. You'll spend more time getting it set up than
using it-- it is that fast.

Jim

On 8/12/2010 10:33 AM, wrote:
On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 09:07:31 -0500,
wrote:

Jeff Thies wrote:
I have some old commercial vinyl tile I'm taking up.

I've noticed this is impossible without adding heat. How is this
typically done. The electric heat gun was slow and hot! Currently I'm
leaving an iron on a patch and using a machete to lift it off. That
still takes a minute or two per tile. Softening temp seems to be
around 170F.

Surely this is often done and there are faster methods.


Pneumatic tile scraper?
http://www.harborfreight.com/long-re...per-37073.html

Might be able to rent one... You'll only need it for thirty minutes.


That requires a big assed (10cfm @90PSI) compressor. It is also
intended for ceramic tile on thinset, and the tip is kind of blunt. It
mostly just breaks the tiles. I'm not sure it could get under glued
down vinyl tile very easily.

I bought a forged scraper on a long handle and sharpened it. It does
break the tile but it is very hard to get under it.

The Harbor Freight Multi tool with a scraper blade might be very
helpful and effective. It costs $39 and is useful for a lot of other
impossible jobs, too.

http://www.harborfreight.com/power-t...ool-67256.html

I've heard about that, $39 is good. I can run by Harbor Freight in a
few days and get it. Wish I had it now!

Jeff

On 8/12/2010 11:54 AM, Jim Elbrecht wrote:
Jeff wrote:

I have some old commercial vinyl tile I'm taking up.

I've noticed this is impossible without adding heat. How is this
typically done. The electric heat gun was slow and hot! Currently I'm
leaving an iron on a patch and using a machete to lift it off. That
still takes a minute or two per tile. Softening temp seems to be around
170F.

Surely this is often done and there are faster methods.

Heat guns and irons are good for a couple tiles. If you're doing a
room or 2- go rent a power scraper. Not the one on a long handle-
[though that might do it& you can get a HF for about $100 if you have
a honking compressor] this one looks like a drum sander. Ask your
rental place. You'll spend more time getting it set up than
using it-- it is that fast.

Thanks, I'll look into it.

The current plan is annoying, I'm reminded of the advice my Dad gave
me about stripping wallpaper with the kerosene steamers, and that was to
get **** faced drunk first!

Jeff

Jim

Unless you are putting ceramic tile down, I would leave the floor if
its tough to take up. When I did my basement a few years back, the
existing linoleum tile showed no signs of coming up without a battle,
so I just layed the new linoleum right over it

Mikepier wrote:
Unless you are putting ceramic tile down, I would leave the floor if
its tough to take up. When I did my basement a few years back, the
existing linoleum tile showed no signs of coming up without a battle,
so I just layed the new linoleum right over it

Good thought. The only reason to remove linoleum is if you want to sell it
on Craigslist or something.

On 8/12/2010 4:26 PM, HeyBub wrote:
Mikepier wrote:
Unless you are putting ceramic tile down, I would leave the floor if
its tough to take up. When I did my basement a few years back, the
existing linoleum tile showed no signs of coming up without a battle,
so I just layed the new linoleum right over it

Good thought. The only reason to remove linoleum is if you want to sell it
on Craigslist or something.


Unfortunately it has to come up to fix some flooring issues.

Jeff

On Aug 12, 1:29*pm, Mikepier wrote:
Unless you are putting ceramic tile down, I would leave the floor if
its tough to take up. When I did my basement a few years back, the
existing linoleum tile showed no signs of coming up without a battle,
so I just layed the new linoleum right over it

He has already started, so your advice is no good.

hr(bob) wrote:
On Aug 12, 1:29 pm, Mikepier wrote:
Unless you are putting ceramic tile down, I would leave the floor if
its tough to take up. When I did my basement a few years back, the
existing linoleum tile showed no signs of coming up without a battle,
so I just layed the new linoleum right over it

He has already started, so your advice is no good.

If he kept the pieces, he can glue them back...

Jeff Thies wrote:
On 8/12/2010 4:26 PM, HeyBub wrote:
Mikepier wrote:
Unless you are putting ceramic tile down, I would leave the floor if
its tough to take up. When I did my basement a few years back, the
existing linoleum tile showed no signs of coming up without a battle,
so I just layed the new linoleum right over it

Good thought. The only reason to remove linoleum is if you want to
sell it
on Craigslist or something.


Unfortunately it has to come up to fix some flooring issues.

Jeff

Does it ALL have to come up? I've seen spot patches done through old
vinyl or asbestos tile, then the repaired area is shimmed up to level
with wood or leveling compound. Most common is pop off any loose or
curled tiles, and them use leveling compound on the holes.

--
aem sends...

On Aug 12, 9:02*am, Jeff Thies wrote:
* *I have some old commercial vinyl tile I'm taking up.

* *I've noticed this is impossible without adding heat. How is this
typically done. The electric heat gun was slow and hot! Currently I'm
leaving an iron on a patch and using a machete to lift it off. That
still takes a minute or two per tile. Softening temp seems to be around
170F.

Surely this is often done and there are faster methods.

* *Jeff


Is it somehow important to you to remove those old VCT floor
tiles in one piece...

Go rent a power floor scraper from your local rental place...

Removing old glued down flooring is a messy process, doing
it the way you are doing is dangerous as you could easily
burn yourself with the iron, the freshly removed tile or the spot
on the floor where you just removed the tile from...

Plus you are either bent over or on your knees while doing it
your way... With a stand-up or walk-behind power floor scraper
you will be able to remain standing...

Like others have said, it will take you longer to go get the
machine and set it up than it will to actually scrape off the
floor...

~~ Evan

On 8/12/2010 7:02 PM, HeyBub wrote:
hr(bob) wrote:
On Aug 12, 1:29 pm, wrote:
Unless you are putting ceramic tile down, I would leave the floor if
its tough to take up. When I did my basement a few years back, the
existing linoleum tile showed no signs of coming up without a battle,
so I just layed the new linoleum right over it

He has already started, so your advice is no good.

If he kept the pieces, he can glue them back...


That, would be like a jig saw puzzle! When I laid the tile years ago, I
never ran it under the cabinets, I would have had to buy more tile!

I think the lesson is: No more tile.

Jeff

On Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:28:17 -0400, Jeff Thies wrote:

On 8/12/2010 7:02 PM, HeyBub wrote:
hr(bob) wrote:
On Aug 12, 1:29 pm, wrote:
Unless you are putting ceramic tile down, I would leave the floor if
its tough to take up. When I did my basement a few years back, the
existing linoleum tile showed no signs of coming up without a battle,
so I just layed the new linoleum right over it

He has already started, so your advice is no good.

If he kept the pieces, he can glue them back...


That, would be like a jig saw puzzle! When I laid the tile years ago, I
never ran it under the cabinets, I would have had to buy more tile!

I think the lesson is: No more tile.

....or run it under the cabinets.

I wouldn't have anything other than tile in wet areas, anymore.