Asphalt tile removal

I am taking up the carpet in my house and going back to the original hardwood. The original hardwood is in pretty good shape. But! When I took the carpet out of the coat closet I found that at one time or another somebody put down some ugly green asphalt tile in it. I tried lifting a piece and it looks like I can get the tile up fairly easy. But then there will be that black mastic left on the floor. Is there any good way to get that stuff up so I can do something with the floor?

Thanks for any help.

Bill Gill

Reply to
Bill Gill
Loading thread data ...

"I am taking up the carpet in my house and going back to the original hardwood. The original hardwood is in pretty good shape. But! When I took the carpet out of the coat closet I found that at one time or another somebody put down some ugly green asphalt tile in it. I tried lifting a piece and it looks like I can get the tile up fairly easy. But then there will be that black mastic left on the floor. Is there any good way to get that stuff up so I can do something with the floor? Thanks for any help. "

Before you do anything, consider the possibility that if it's old floor tile, there is a good chance it contains asbestos. You can do a web search and find info on proper ways of dealing with it. Left alone, it's not a problem, but if you want to remove it, you need to follow some basic safety procedures. If you can simply go over it with new flooring, that IMO, is the simplest and best solution.

Reply to
trader4

warm it slightly and more will come up. there are chemicals which will turn it into a goo that can be scraped off, but anyway you do this, it'll be a lot of work.

Reply to
Charles Spitzer

That's what I'd do.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

Scrape the heavy stuff off with a large putty knife, then can try kerosene, or a solvent based cleaner, or waterless hand soap.

Reply to
Bob

asbestos can be dangerous.

a liquid cleaner that might work is goof off, I saw it remove a 3 foot circle of contact cement that had spilled on a vinyl floor months earlier.

you would never know it happened

Reply to
hallerb

Having worked for a flooring company for several years, you already did the hard part, getting the tiles off.

Ignore the comments about asbestos. You said ASPHALT tile, not vinyl asbestos, correct? Yes, I know you did, because it was glued with asphalt tile adhesive. Basically TAR.

However, I hate to tell you this. You will never get all that tar off and be able to get a decent looking wood floor. It's between the boards and will gum up every sandpaper and spread like crazy. You are lucky though. It's just a closet. Put new vinyl or tile on it and refisish your other floors. It's just a closet, it dont need to match. Besides you can always get some woodgrain vinyl that will match, and put a metal bar across the doorway to prevent kicking up the edge of the new vinyl. If you MUST have a finished hardwood, you may as well replace the boards in that closet. But in my opinion, thats too much work for a mere closet

Reply to
maradcliff

Thanks for the information. I was kind of afraid that was what would happen. My fall back idea was to do just what you suggested. I will try to find a wood grain vinyl tile that will be a fairly close match to the floor and put the trim strip across the door.

Bill Gill

Reply to
Bill Gill

How? Does it jump up and bite you in the neck? Or does it explode?

Asbestos imbedded in a commercial product: tile, brake shoes, insulation, etc., is not hazardous in spite of what the doom-sayers allege.

Reply to
HeyBub

I did this job at my house. JASCO makes an adhesive remover, which will turn the adhesive. I then scubbed the floor out with citrus cleaner. I have to tell you this one of the messiest and tedious jobs I have ever done at my house.

Reply to
CKI

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.