# Getting the sticky glue off the floor after removing old vinyl tile **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 24, 2017, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-sticky-glue-off-the-floor-after-removing-old-vinyl-tile/802585 "2017-11-24T12:29:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-sticky-glue-off-the-floor-after-removing-old-vinyl-tile/802585/1 "2017-11-24T12:29:51Z")
Any hints? Have to do this horrible job? Couldn’t I just cover it with paint or something??? ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-sticky-glue-off-the-floor-after-removing-old-vinyl-tile/802585/2 "2017-11-24T12:54:24Z")
It depends on a few things. What material is the subfloor? What type of adhesive is it? Of course, the easiest thing to do is cover it up with new flooring, tile or carpet. Just for curiosity, how old and what size were the old tiles? ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-sticky-glue-off-the-floor-after-removing-old-vinyl-tile/802585/3 "2017-11-24T13:22:42Z")
Concrete floor. My tile (ceramic) guy says all that has to come off. No idea what it is, not black. 12" and about 9 years. Apparently a rarely emptied cat box will bleach out vinyl where the box sat. Fucking tenants ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-sticky-glue-off-the-floor-after-removing-old-vinyl-tile/802585/4 "2017-11-24T15:36:36Z")
Since it’s on concrete get low - VOC mastic remover, scrub brushes, razor blade scrapers, and a while bunch of old rags. Pour the remover and let sit for 15 minutes and then go to town scrubbing (get a swivel head on a broomstick) and scraping the floor. ---
**Author:** ![mr\_horsepower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@mr\_horsepower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_horsepower)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-sticky-glue-off-the-floor-after-removing-old-vinyl-tile/802585/5 "2017-11-24T15:40:16Z")
toluene, a scraper, some good chemical resistant gloves & an appropriate respirator. open doors & windows. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-sticky-glue-off-the-floor-after-removing-old-vinyl-tile/802585/6 "2017-11-24T16:53:22Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-the-sticky-glue-off-the-floor-after-removing-old-vinyl-tile/802585/7 "2017-11-24T17:52:02Z")
You might want to try a heat gun, but be careful around baseboards and walls.