How to Remove Vinyl Flooring

Whether you want to upgrade your flooring to ceramic or hardwood, or simply want to lay down new sheet vinyl, you will very likely want to remove what's in place beforehand. This will give you a smooth, level surface to install the new material onto, and prevent seams or material damage on the old vinyl floor from showing through the new. Here you'll learn how to remove vinyl flooring for best results.

As with most other home improvement projects, removing vinyl is easier when you have a helper. This is a project that can be done with just one person, but it will go a lot faster when you have an extra set of hands.

Materials needed to remove vinyl flooring:

- Pry bar
- Heavy-duty X-Acto knife
- Heavy-duty floor scraper
- Needle nose pliers
- Work gloves
- Goggles

How to remove vinyl flooring:

STEP 1 - Before you can begin to remove the flooring, you will need to remove the baseboard first. It is very difficult to take up vinyl without doing this, so please do not overlook this important step. Removing the baseboards will also help protect them from accidental damage during the floor removal. Take a moment and learn how to remove trim work.

STEP 2 - Now you will need to remove the transition strips between the vinyl and the carpeting. To do this, pry up a few inches of the carpet around the transition to expose the strip beneath. Use a flat bar and pliers to remove the transition.

STEP 3 - At this point you can begin actually removing vinyl from the floor. You have freed it of all its connections and it will be easier to tear up at this point. It's difficult to say just how hard you will have to work to pull it up, however, as it will depend on how much adhesive was used to install it. You won't know until you begin the process.

STEP 4 - To begin removing vinyl, start by cutting the vinyl into strips. Use a heavy-duty X-Acto knife and cut into the flooring every 12" - 16". This will give you workable strips to work with instead of one large piece. Be sure you cut all the way through the flooring!

STEP 5 - Once the strips have been cut, use a pry bar to begin pulling it up. Pull in the direction of the cut, slicing any connecting pieces underneath as you go. The flooring should pull up in fairly large sheets at a time.

STEP 6 - When you have removed as much of the flooring as possible, you may still see some small pieces or backing in place. This is normal and is usually due to the adhesive that was used. To remove this material you will need to scrape it off with a heavy-duty floor scraper. They can be purchased for less than $ 40.00 at most home improvement retailers.

STEP 7 - Go back over the entire surface and look for any nails that may still be embedded in the flooring. Remove them with needle nose pliers and discard them.

More from Jennifer Wagner:

How to Patch Damaged Vinyl Flooring

How to Paint Over Vinyl Flooring

DIY Bathroom Demolition Basics

Source:

Personal knowledge and experience

Jennifer Wagner - Yahoo! Contributor Network