Do I need to remove the Vinyl flooring glue before tiling?

[CN Spots]

I got the vinyl up but the adhesive is still there. It's kinda gooey so a scraper just gums up on it. I'd like to put down ceramic tiles and was wondering if I had to remove all of the glue for the mortar to stick?

I tried a chemical from Lowe's they said would remove it but it didn't work very well. The yinyl lifted off, but not the adhesive.

This is on a concrete slab by the way.

Thanks.

Spots

 

[i386]

Re: Do I need to remove the Vinyl flooring glue before tiling?

I've done a couple of these and what worked for me was boiling water. Take an old towel and coil it up into a circle. Pour the boiling water in the middle. The towel helps to hold it in that spot. The glue with soften and scrape up easily.

*** I think the remover goop they sell is a petroleum solvent which is useless in removing a water based glue. And conversly I'd think if the goop worked, water wouldn't.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Do I need to remove the Vinyl flooring glue before tiling?

Yes, you should remove the adhesive. If you do not, you will not get and even level of mastic on your floor. The adhesive can form hard areas that can cause your ceramic tile to crack, also.

Charcoal lighter fluid will work at removing the adhesive - but make sure the room is well ventilated while using it!

 

[KaGee]

Re: Do I need to remove the Vinyl flooring glue before tiling?

You will find it easier to lay down fresh underlayment. It does not cost that much and will go down much faster that taking up the old adhesive.

 

[i386]

Re: Do I need to remove the Vinyl flooring glue before tiling?

You will find it easier to lay down fresh underlayment. It does not cost that much and will go down much faster that taking up the old adhesive.

KaGee's right. I forgot to mention, on my second project we ended up using underlayment anyway after removing the glue.


The trick to removing glue is to know what kind it is. You'll never remove a water based glue with any petroleum solvent. You'll never remove a petrolem based glue with water.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Do I need to remove the Vinyl flooring glue before tiling?

What they said ...

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Do I need to remove the Vinyl flooring glue before tiling?

On concrete remove the excess adhesive with a razor scraper.....
It is tedious but necessary......
Patching over the old excess adhesive will result in eventual failure....
I would not use any type of chemical solvent to remove the excess glue.......
Read the directions on the mortar you are going to use...
Some may require a primer.....JK

 

[CN Spots]

Re: Do I need to remove the Vinyl flooring glue before tiling?

Thanks! I got the majority of it up with a scraper but the pits in the concrete still have some in it. It's smooth now but I can still see some glue... will this be a problem?


spots

 

[Haut Medoc]

Re: Do I need to remove the Vinyl flooring glue before tiling?

No......Pay attention to the directions for the mastic/grout that you will use for the new tile....
Some times a "skim coat" of underlayment, like Ardex 'featheredge' is required....
If you have scraped the ridges of glue off of the floor. you'll be OK.........JKd