Peel-and-stick tiles are handy when you want to quickly lay down an inexpensive floor in a kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom. But what about when you want to remove those same tiles and install a completely new floor? There really isn’t an “easy” way to remove those tiles, because there’s no way around the fact that it’ll take some time and elbow grease, but it can be done. Here is an effective way to remove the tiles and the adhesive, too.
According to Do It Yourself, you first need to assess the condition of the peel-and-stick tiles. If the tiles have been down for a long time, the adhesive may have broken down to the point where you can peel the tiles off the floor with your hands. Test a corner of a tile, and if it comes up easily, you’ve got it made. If not, keep reading to see what to do next.
Use a utility knife to score all the tiles that are still firmly attached to the floor. Just cut right down the middle of each tile, deep enough to get below the surface.
If your peel-and-stick tiles are on top of concrete, you can now get a bucket of water and pour just a little in each score mark on the tiles. You want the water to seep in the cut and help loosen the adhesive underneath. Give it some time to soak. If you’re on wood subfloor, you can skip this step if you aren’t comfortable getting the wooden sub floor wet.
Once the tiles have soaked for awhile {or if you’re skipping the water} you need a long-handled scraper to start lifting up the tiles. It is best to try and remove the adhesive with the tile, though some people remove just the tiles. However, if you want to install new flooring, the adhesive needs to come up, too.
Use rags soaked in mineral spirits to remove any stuck-on adhesive that remains once you have removed all the tiles. Be sure to properly dispose of the rags once you are finished.
Congratulations! Now you’re ready to install new flooring in place of the old peel-and-stick tiles.