Browse Forums Flooring & Floor Covering 1 Sep 18, 2010 9:55 am Hi, We are trying to remove some old lino which is stuck directly onto pine floorboard which we eventually want to sand and polish. The only problem is that the lino is stuck down so firmly that we are struggling to remove it even with a large scraper. Does anybody have any tips as to how to get the lino off? cheers, Emmy Re: Removing Lino Stuck to Floorboards 2Sep 18, 2010 10:32 am You need something to soften/dissolve the adhesive - I don't know if heat would help, but otherwise I'd try some solvents. If you know the vintage of the lino and what might have been used to stick it down, that would help with finding the right stuff to loosen the adhesive. Status: sold our first house, moved in with parents, bought our second in Pakenham, still planning to build in a few years time. Re: Removing Lino Stuck to Floorboards 3Sep 18, 2010 10:46 am A heat gun would assist, however it may soften the residual glue and make it messy. Re: Removing Lino Stuck to Floorboards 4Sep 18, 2010 11:01 am Thanks guys, I read somewhere that towels soaked in boiling water and then placed directly on the lino could help. Somebody also suggested gum turpentine. If I tried these do you think they would leave the same messy residue as using a heat gun? Emmy Re: Removing Lino Stuck to Floorboards 5Sep 18, 2010 11:17 am HI How old is "Old"? If it's really old be careful. Really old lino can contain asbestos. Re: Removing Lino Stuck to Floorboards 7Sep 18, 2010 11:33 am emmyb The house was built in 1970 and I think it was laid back then. The lino doesn't seem to have any particles in it. How can you tell if it has asbestos? Take a sample and have it tested. The backing of some of the tiles was asbestos based in the 1970s into the early 1980s, it is hard to see. Makes an easier task harder now... Re: Removing Lino Stuck to Floorboards 9Sep 18, 2010 1:42 pm Or get the floor sanding people to do it as part of their quote to polish your floor and save the stress !! Re: Removing Lino Stuck to Floorboards 10Sep 18, 2010 3:53 pm If it is 'Lino', as in linoleum, it would have been glued with a brown water-based adhesive which will wash off the floor, after you take up the lino. But you are more likely referring to 'vinyl' sheet, which were glued with a white acrylic adhesive that is not water soluble. The vinyl has to be scraped off in strips before you can tackle the adhesive. WARNING. if the vinyl has a white fibre backing [not the white foam under the top print], it would almost certainly asbestos. Laid lots of it. Vinyl backing [no fibre] started to come out in the late 70's. If it has the white fibre back you must leave it for an asbestos accredited person to take up. Re: Removing Lino Stuck to Floorboards 11Sep 19, 2010 7:26 am Looks like you've had some great advice. I also was given this additional info recently. Any lino pre 80's should be seen as highly suspect. It is potentially highly hazardous, especially working close to floor and breaking the product up! http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/waste/asbestos.asp Asbestos - EPA victoria http://www.epa.vic.gov.au The three main types of asbestos are white, blue and brown, used mainly before 1980 in the production of asbestos cement sheeting and piping. Hi All New to the forum and looking for some advice, has anyone else renovated an old miners cottage in or around Ballarat and been able to identify the flooring? We… 0 8899 Hi there, looking to have a gym in a new build. Planning to install some sort of rubber mat flooring (on concrete) i.e. Asking the builder to not do floorboards in the gym… 0 2093 6 11373 |