Removing Vinyl floor tiles
 

I've just started to remove old vinyl floor tiles in the kitchen with a
hammer and wall scraper as a bolster is a bit too thick to get under the
tiles. Is there a better method to doing this or am I going at the best
possible way? The other thing I need to get rid of is a black type of
material which looks like tar but is most probably adhesive stuck to the
concrete floor. Any suggestions?

In a way I should have listened to a mate and got the lock in laminate
flooring which looks like floor tiles but I prefer ceramic tiles although
the work has made me sweat a few litres this morning.

Pedge wrote in
:

I've just started to remove old vinyl floor tiles in the kitchen with
a hammer and wall scraper as a bolster is a bit too thick to get under
the tiles. Is there a better method to doing this or am I going at the
best possible way? The other thing I need to get rid of is a black
type of material which looks like tar but is most probably adhesive
stuck to the concrete floor. Any suggestions?

In a way I should have listened to a mate and got the lock in laminate
flooring which looks like floor tiles but I prefer ceramic tiles
although the work has made me sweat a few litres this morning.



Actually, looking at the way these tiles are coming off i'm not sure if
they are vinyl as these just chip off in small bits when hitting them with
the hammer and wall scraper.

"Pedge" wrote in message
...
I've just started to remove old vinyl floor tiles in the kitchen with a
hammer and wall scraper as a bolster is a bit too thick to get under the
tiles. Is there a better method to doing this or am I going at the best
possible way? The other thing I need to get rid of is a black type of
material which looks like tar but is most probably adhesive stuck to the
concrete floor. Any suggestions?

In a way I should have listened to a mate and got the lock in laminate
flooring which looks like floor tiles but I prefer ceramic tiles although
the work has made me sweat a few litres this morning.


I've found a flat scraper and a heat gun work best for getting these tiles
up - heat the area you're trying to lift, and as soon as you've got the edge
up heat from underneath and they should peel away quite easily.

Pedge wrote:
Actually, looking at the way these tiles are coming off i'm not sure if
they are vinyl as these just chip off in small bits when hitting them with
the hammer and wall scraper.

Probably vinyl asbestos on bitumen adhesive on latex levelling compound
on concrete. You can get a tool to remove these, which looks like a big
single-sided razor blade (8" wide! but not so sharp!) on a long handle
like a broom handle. Go to a BM such as Jewson to get one. You just
push it under them & they come off eventually. Try and not dig into
the levelling compound, if it's there (a sort of soft cementy sort of
stuff). You won't be able to get the black off.

I believe an SDS chisel with tile-removing blade is intended for ceramic
tiles but I have also found it a good way to lift firmly stuck down thick
vinyl ones.

Hi
I've found a flat scraper and a heat gun work best for getting these tiles
up - heat the area you're trying to lift, and as soon as you've got the
edge
up heat from underneath and they should peel away quite easily.

That's the way they strip the old tiles in places like B&Q stores when they
replace a floor. Big flame gun & a long handled scraper.

Dave