How To Remove Glue Residue From Floor Tiles: Simple & Best Options Of Removing Glue Residue

Simple & Best Options Of Removing The Glue Residue From Floor Tiles

Once the floor tile is removed, it is a two-part job. In the first stage, the floor tile itself is taken up, simply cut, or chiseled from the floor. After that, the adhesive which was holding it in place needs to be removed. It depends on the type of the tile as well as on the type of adhesive under it, different ways can be used to remove it. The user must need to remove all the adhesive residue before proceeding for installing new flooring. The different options for removing glue residue are shown below:

Removing Thin-Set Mortar

Thin-set mortar is actually a cement product that is used on the floor as well as on the wall tiles in many of the areas. Once dried, then it is water-resistant, tough, durable, but it is also brittle. Frequently, the large chunks of the thin-set mortar will be removed with the tiles themselves, which will leave behind the random chunks as well as an uneven layer. This can be easily chiseled. In order to remove this, fit the end of a pry bar under the larger pieces of the residue and apply the pressure on the other end for pulling up the large chunks. Place the chisel right at the base of the smaller pieces, position the chisel at a 45-degree angle. Tap the end of the chisel with the help of a hammer to gently remove up the mortar residue.

Removing Tile Mastic

The mastic is an organic compound that is used to attach the wall tiles that are used in the dry areas. Besides that, it can also be used on the counters and on some of the older floors. Mastic is not water-resistant and that is why it can get dissolved when it comes in contact with the water. To remove excess mastic, simply soak several cloths in water and place them on the mastic. Leave the water soak on the mastic until it will become soft. Then, scrape off all the remaining residue using a putty knife.

Vinyl Tile Adhesive

The vinyl tile adhesive residue is actually the flexible adhesive that grows very stronger with the span of time. It totally depends on the age of the tiles, the glue residue can be scraped up very quickly, or need some patience. Try and begin simply by scraping up as much as possible with the help of a putty knife. If in case it is hard, then soften it by simply applying the heat. Place a heat gun right at the adhesive, or another option is to hold an iron a few inches above it, it is advisable never to keep a hot item directly on the glue. Wait for a few minutes so that it will begin to soften after that scrape up all the remaining residue.

Using Solvents

In some of the cases, heat or water is not enough to soften the old mastic as well as the vinyl tile adhesive residue. In such cases, a solvent is required to break down all the glue residue so that it can be easily scraped up. For that, purchase a solvent that is made especially for the type of adhesive that is going to be removed. Ventilate the entire area as much as possible and then gently apply the solvent to the residue. Leave the solvent for at least one hour, so that the adhesive will start breaking down, after that scrape up the remains.