How to Remove Vinyl Flooring Glued to Concrete

Sheet vinyl flooring is a durable, easy-to-clean floor finish for high-moisture or high-traffic rooms. Vinyl flooring is commonly installed in family activity rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, as well as pantries, laundry and utility rooms, and is often applied over concrete slabs in these rooms. When the flooring work in your project reaches the point where the old vinyl flooring must come up, the standard removal procedure effectively strips the flooring and adhesive to clear the concrete surface.

• 1

  Remove the baseboard material, if applicable, from the perimeter of the vinyl flooring area using a hammer and pry bar.

• 2

  Slice the vinyl flooring in a freehand straight line, 12 inches from the floor's edge, across the full width of the room parallel to the nearest wall.

• 3

  Pry up either end of the strip of vinyl flooring cut in Step 2 using a pry bar. Applying directed heat over the end area using a heat gun will help to soften the material and make it easier to peel away from the concrete floor.

• 4

  Separate the strip of vinyl flooring by scraping the adhesive and vinyl from the concrete using a putty knife, continuing to apply heat as needed soften the bond and remove the vinyl. The vinyl adhesive should be scraped away while it remains pliable as the vinyl is removed.

• 5

  Repeat Steps 2, 3 and 4 to continue removing incremental strips of the vinyl flooring and adhesive until the removal of the flooring is complete.