Hi guys....

I'm an experienced DIY'er who is now remodeling the kitchen, family room and living room of our home.
We're removing tile from the kitchen floor, carpet from the living room and old engineered oak from the family room. We're replacing with Mannington Chesapeake Hickory which matches the dining room and entry. We're in Texas on a concrete slab. House is 16 years old.

I've installed glue down engineered wood in my home (approx 200 sq ft) and my father in law's condo of 1500 sq ft - so I've got some experience.

So the question is.... how do I remove the old adhesive on the slab from the oak? This glue is unlike the others I've used. It never seemed to "cure". As we rip out the old floor I'm finding the glue to be as sticky as can be. I'm used to glues that cure in a few hours (urethane?).
How do I get this stuff up and the stab cleaned? Mineral spirits cuts the glue down with some effort. Heat gun did nothing significant. A floor scraper I rented does nothing.

Ideas please? My room is about 20x15.

Thanks in advance!

Matt

I've heard some guys mention sand and a floor buffer for good results. Maybe someone can elaborate.

Sounds like Bostik's Best. I would use a hand razor scraper,( different than the scraper you rented). Your going to need a bunch of blades, you may think about going to a local flooring supply house,( where the installers go), otherwise the blades will be pretty pricy at a big box, pick up the scraper there too.

I've had a customer call me back, to tell me they where doing there daughters floors . . . .
removing tough glue with a wall paper steamer & narrow putty knife.

If your knees don't stick fast to the glue . . you might consider (WARNER) 2" carbide scraper .
You hold the scraper at an angle and pull it as if you where plowing snow . . . " called a skew" . .

you will only be cutting about 1/2" to 3/4" when holding @ the correct angle I've scraped my share of glue. Dan @ pro ( carbide holds an edge ). . . don't go wider than 2" !

Scrape 1/2" at a time ? I think they may charge rent Are you referring to a wood scraper for insde corners?

If the adhesive is a sticky mess when trying to kneel on it... de-activate it by sprinkling a little Fixall ( any powder patching compound), or saw dust.

The Scraper I'm talking about is a Warner as well, sometimes called a "wallpaper scraper",( 4" width, replaceable razor sharp blades) , use in a forward motion,( easy to put your body weight into it ), use the blade in a sideways cutting motion. I'd have that slab clean in a couple hours tops.

I appreciate the responses so far... thanks. This glue is thin, really thin. Trying to post pics but keep getting an error that they're over 800 pixels - but they're not ??

Using a razor scraper *may* work but certainly not the route I'd like to go

The glue sticks to everything.... shoes, knees, skin.

I was thinking a sanding disc on a buffer, or a stripper pad on a buffer with some mineral spirit ( although this may make a really gooey mess.


Thanks again for the ideas!

It sounds like a thinspread contact adhesive, now that you describe further, like maybe Dri-Tac.
Trying to sand it will gum up the paper, like right now.
Chemical stripper is quite a mess, and a good chance toxic.

Yes, razor scraping is labor intensive. I've had to do it that way forever it seems. I'm definetely open and all ears to an easier solution.

Yes contact adhesive sounds like a good description. It's brown in color. Looks just like contact cement. It's actually gooey when a plank is pulled from the floor.

QUESTION- why are we trying to remove the glue. . . . test and go over it with whatever your planning on using. . . .see the outcome - move on
Dan @pro

I dont know of a glue or wood manufacturer that will warranty their product over this gooey contact adhesive type glue membrane, that your proposing to be between the wood, the specified glue, and the substrate. IMO there's bonding issues, as well as a possible chemical reaction.
Scraping adhesive is unfortunately a daily practice in the preparation for hardwood flooring.

Go rent a buffer with a scrape away on it. Use kitty litter with it if need be.

I'm going to try this first and then a buffer with a stripper pad and mineral spirits. I tried my razor scraper (I had a warner one in the toolbox) - does not work well at all. It would take me a year. Need a machine - or a chemical...

I'll let you know how it proceeds. I can't get a full day in until thurs so it'll have to wait a bit

Thanks for the advice so far!

With a new blade? I must be a machine with mine, maybe it's 38 years practice

You don't really want to buy one of these unless you do it all the time, kinda pricey. But you can certainly rent one.

http://www.nationalequipment.com/cr/Scr ... /2256/2345

Yes, renting can be an option. Unfortunately with tacky adhesives it doesn't work well. That was my experience with DriTac 6200. The machine just bounced off the adhesive. Does adding kitty litter or something like course sand eliminate that? Anybody actually tried the plate and abrasives?