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Removing vinyl flooring glue from plywood is no easy task. It’s important to take the time and do it correctly, otherwise, the adhesive will never come up off of your wood surface. There are many tools that you can use for this project, but we recommend using a scraper first and then following with a heat gun or hairdryer to soften up the adhesive before scraping again. This will ensure that the adhesive is removed from your plywood surface.
Why You May Want To Remove Vinyl Flooring Glue from Plywood
If you have a plywood subfloor in your home, and the vinyl flooring has been glued to it instead of nailed down, then there is a good chance that the glue used for installation may stick onto your wood. If this happens, then there are several reasons why you would want to remove this adhesive from underneath your vinyl planks:
- It can cause your vinyl flooring to come loose,
- You want the adhesive removed so that you have a flat surface for installation of new flooring, or
- The glue is too hard and will not allow nailing down of wood.
If any of these are reasons why you would like to remove this excess adhesive from underneath your vinyl planks, then follow the steps below and you will be able to do so.
Tools You Will Need
Plywood scraper (flat head), heat gun or hairdryer, vacuum cleaner, and a broom for clean up.
Methods of Removing Vinyl Flooring Glue From Plywood
There are many ways in which you can remove the excess adhesive from underneath your vinyl planks. Which method you choose is up to personal preference, but below we have listed just a few of them that work well:
1. Using Heat
Use an electric heat gun or hairdryer and get it hot enough so that it melts away the glue. Be careful not to burn the plywood.
Steps to remove the glue using heat
Step one: Use a heat gun or hair dryer to melt away the glue
Step two: Scrape up small portions of the melted adhesive with your scraper, then use a towel and wipe off all excess fluid from plywood. This will leave you with a clean surface for the installation of new flooring.
The easiest way to remove vinyl plank flooring is to use a heat gun or hairdryer to melt away the adhesive. This will leave you with a clean surface and allow for easier installation of new flooring materials, such as hardwood floors.
The electric heat gun can also be used to soften up any residual glue that may have been left behind by your scraper during step one, which will make it easier for you to scrape up the glue.
2. Using A Scraper
Use a scraper on top of your wood first, then scrape underneath with a heat gun or hairdryer until all the adhesive is gone.
Steps to remove the glue using a scraper
Step one: Remove the adhesive from your wood.
Step two: Use a scraper to scrape away any excess glue that is left on top of plywood after heating it with a heat gun or hairdryer. Be sure not to damage the surface underneath, as this can result in more work later on if you have to replace boards due to scratches and gouges.
Step three: Use a sanding block to smooth out any rough edges left by the scraper and then wipe away dust with a clean cloth or vacuum. Your plywood will now be ready for installation of new vinyl flooring if you so desire, or if you are moving on to other projects then your plywood is now free of excess adhesive.
3. Using Acetone
Most people use acetone which sounds like a good solution, but this can damage your wood if you don’t test it first. Some plywoods are made from recycled products and the glue used for these types of floors is not recommended to be removed with acetone because it may scrape away some of the acrylic top layer that has been added onto the plywood. If you do choose to use acetone, then test it on a small area before going further and make sure that the adhesive comes up easily after applying some of this solvent onto your surface.
Steps to remove the glue using acetone
Step one: Use the scraper on top of your wood first, then scrape underneath with a heat gun or hairdryer until all the adhesive is gone.
Step Two: Use an electric heat gun or hairdryer and get it hot enough so that it melts away the glue. Be careful not to burn the plywood.
Step Three: If any adhesive remains, then use the acetone on top of your wood first to loosen it up. Use a clean rag soaked in this solvent and wipe away excess adhesive until you can no longer see any residue.
Step Four: Let everything dry overnight before installing new flooring or moving furniture back onto the plywood surface.
What Next After Removing the Glue?
After you have removed any glue residue from underneath your vinyl flooring, then the next step is to remove all of the excess adhesives that were left behind. This can be done by using a heat gun or hairdryer and scraping up small portions with a scraper until there are no longer visible traces of leftover adhesive.
You will want to make sure that your floor is as level as possible before installing new vinyl plank flooring because any imperfections will be very noticeable to the naked eye, which can turn into a big headache if you have to fix these once installation has already begun.
If there are gaps between planks then use some wood filler and smooth it out until everything looks even and great. You can then apply a finish or polyurethane to the surface of your plywood, which will give everything a nice shine as well as protect it from any spills that may happen in the future.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and should serve as an example of the steps it takes to remove flooring adhesive from plywood floors or wooden surfaces you may be working within your own home. Although this post was written in good faith, there are no guarantees that these suggestions will work well on any surface other than the one I used.
Conclusion
By now, you should know how to remove vinyl flooring glue from plywood as well as the steps needed to take in order for this task to be completed.
Now that you have finished reading my post today, please feel free to leave a comment or question below and I will get back to you ASAP! Thanks so much for visiting us here at woodrated.com! I hope you have a wonderful day.
