[beccasa]

I bought an old metal kitchen cart to paint and use for a retro look, but the problem is that years ago someone glued on old flooring to the shelves. And unfortunately glued them very well. Amy ideas on how to get it off and how to make the surface and paint job nice and shiny? I have no idea how to approach this! I'm a very new DIYer!

I have pics but for some reason can't attach them.

 

[ToolSeeker]

You can't post pics because you don't have enough posts yet, you need 5 I think. The old flooring needs to come off. What is it linoleum, tile, or something else?

 

[beccasa]

Thanks for letting me know about the pictures.

It's linoleum. I tried to get underneath it with a screwdriver today and I can tear it off but there is all this whitish glue stuff stuck to the cart - or maybe it's just part of the linoleum. From the looks of the type of linoleum I would guess it's been on there at least 30 years.

I suspect I'll need some kind of solvent - just don't know what!

My location is San Diego County.

 

[blackjack]

Hard to advise with no photos.....might try a heat gun or a hair dryer first and see if heating it up a bit makes removal easier...careful if you use a heat gun (potential fire hazard if used improperly), and doing it outside may be a good idea. No idea what the glue is made of but if it's something harmful, it's best to have plenty of fresh air available....dunno, but that's where I'd probably start. Good luck.
Beyond that, lacquer thinner is my go to solvent if I want something off and don't know what it is. Again, carefully. Hang rags to dry then throw away if you use it. It's a chemically "hot" solvent and will ruin finishes it comes in contact with. You're repainting the metal shelf so it's fine. Just don't wipe floors, cabinets or furniture with it...anyway, it's a starting point to remove the adhesive once you have removed the linoleum (using a heat gun or dryer).

 

[blackjack]

And try using a stiff putty knife instead of a screwdriver. Less dents to fix later.

 

[ToolSeeker]

+1 on the heat gun and after you get the linoleum off they have adhesive softeners that may help remove the adhesive.