Renovating your home, or just preparing your home for sale? How to get rid of the existing linoleum? Like all things renovation wise, it can be a tough job, but that doesn't mean you have to immediately drag in the professionals. You can do it yourself, and take all the praise later. Linoleum floor can be clingy. And the difficulty in removing it depends on its age and how it is fixed to your floor. If your current linoleum is still in good shape, with almost unnoticeable cracks, and soundly fixed to your floor, you can leave it in place and just cover it up with your new floor material. If you think that's cheating though, and you don't want your real estate buyers discovering the cover-up later, then just remove the linoleum and start from scratch. This will take sweat on your part. Once you get the linoleum up, you'll have to deal with its adhesive material. The best tip when removing linoleum is to work in small sections. Cut the linoleum in workable sized strips or squares as you go and then peel them off. Not only will you remove the majority of the surface layer of linoleum but it will help you in getting to the adhesive as well. You can further attack the adhesive using a paint scraper or razor blade scraper. The razor blades work much easier, although hard stubborn adhesive and concrete floors take several blades as they blunt eventually. Now that you've removed the majority of the linoleum and its backing, you can proceed with the applying a solvent or chemical remover. Make sure you follow instructions and read the warnings on the label, and wear skin and eye protection, such as gloves and glasses. Again, proceed by doing small sections at a time. If you prefer not working with chemicals, a low-cost method of adhesive removal involves just boiling water. Pour directly on the remaining adhesive, in small sections, allow it to set a bit, and then scrape. If you are working with hardwood floors and are worried about damaging it, simply remove the adhesive and remaining backing with a hair dryer or heat gun. Since hardwood floors are highlights in real estates for sale nowadays, it's all the more reason for you to proceed with caution. Try a test area such as in the pantry. Simply use the hair dryer to heat up the adhesive and then scrape. Don't scrape against the grain of the wood because this will result in hot and sticky debris. Also, make sure you have a heat resistant container ready for the clean up. If you're using a heat gun, make sure you don't apply too much heat or else you burn the wood. Remember, the rule of thumb is: work in small sections, apply the heat in a moving motion versus static, and scrape each area as you go. When working with concrete your goal is to remove 100% of the adhesive. But with hardwood floors, simply remove what you can then clean the area by vacuuming or sweeping the debris. After you've successfully removed the backing, lightly sand or damp-mop the area using mineral spirits or a similar product to prepare the floor for its new finish. Now, your real estate property boasts of a new, elegant, and sensible floorall because of you. And it's now ready to be listed in the online real estate market.
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