Laying vinyl tile over concrete floor

[RobertGehl]

Our floor is a finished concrete (common in 1950s ranch homes in Phoenix. There is sheet flooring laid over the concrete. I've been tring to remove the tile and it's all adhesive backing underneath. (please see the picture I posted at

). Question: Must I get all the way down to the concrete to lay the vinyl? It's very difficult to get all this gluey crap up ... could I lay the vinyl tile right over this (smoothed out as much as possible, of course) or must it be completely flat and free of ALL that backing? Thanks in advance! Robert robert -at- rgehl -dot- com

[Amun]

Judging by the picture and the year, you have asphalt (tar) based adhesive there.

Just heat it with a torch (careful, it may ignite or smoke) and scrape it off while soft. (A wide putty knife or even a sharp shovel may work)

If you miss any lumps you will see them through the new tile/flooring.

Not a hard job, but messy, and takes some time.

AMUN