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removing laminate flooring

4K views 24 replies 7 participants last post by  Fix'n it 
#1 ·
Hi,

We have laminate flooring in our house in the large living room/dining area/kitchen and the attached 1/2 bathroom (total area ~500 sq feet). The house was built in 2002, so it is about 11 year old. Over the past two years, we have had several spills (thanks to my two little ones) and the flooring has swollen at many places and makes pop sounds if we step in those areas. We are replacing the flooring with a new laminate floor and this will be my project of this kind.

I just bought some inexpensive laminate flooring from Costco - it has preattached underlayment and suppose to simply click together. I have been reading a lot of posts and have seen some videos about installation but not much about removing the current laminate flooring - which I think may be the more labor intensive part.

What type of tools would I need to remove the current laminate floor? For 500 sq feet area, how long would it take me to do this and what do I need to know before I jump into this.

Here is what I think I need to do:
0. Move things out of the room - Friday afternoon
1. remove baseboards (2-4 hours) - Friday evening
2. remove flooring (4 hours) - Saturday morning
3. clean the floor (don't really know what to expect and what I would need to do) - 2 hours - Saturday afternoon
4. start installation - Saturday afternoon and finish by Sunday afternoon.
5. replace the baseboards - Sunday afternoon

Would it be possible for me to do this entire project (minus the 1/2 bath) over 1 weekend? I have no experience with any of these things and will be a novice.

Many thanks!

Mike
 
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#7 ·
Tearout should take far less time than you are thinking. The stuff is basically just laying on the floor. Unclick it and pile it in the back of a truck ready for disposal. Taking up the trim will probably take longer than the actual floor. As far as cutting the new goes, a simple jigsaw will work if you aren't doing a huge amount of cuts. You'll need it anyway for some of the odd cuts around doorways. Cutting across a board with a jigsaw if pretty easy. Ripping the length is a little more work but can be done fairly easily. You won't be ripping it with a miter saw. If I had to buy one saw to do one laminate job it would be a jigsaw. It won't be as efficient at the crosscuts but it'll do all the cuts you will need with one saw. Blades are cheap too and you will wear out some blades.
 
#14 ·
Tearout should take far less time than you are thinking. The stuff is basically just laying on the floor. Unclick it and pile it in the back of a truck ready for disposal...
So it appears that the current floor is glued to the floor :( and it is not coming off easily. I took the quarter round off and it did take me pretty long time. A few off these broke and I think I also damaged some of the floor boards bit (but it wouldn't be noticeable once I put the quarter round back).

Now for tear up - are there any specialized tools for taking off glued laminate floors? All I have is a small hammer and it may take me all week to try to take it off.

Also, there is this cover (laminate) on the transition between floor and the tiles near the fire place and it is also glued at least on the tile side. I can't figure out how to remove it without damaging it (not that I plan to use it again).

Thanks.
M
 
#12 ·
Do take a look at that little sliding miter saw-----for the money it is one handy tool for home use---

We installed two laminate floors using it----worked nicely for that---and will make cutting the shoe molding easy for you----
 
#22 ·
I end up getting a circular saw tonight. It is too loud so the project has been put on hold till tomorrow morning. I also got a floor chisel to rip the pieces.

Plan for tomorrow morning is to make cuts on the floor and then use the chisel to pry the floor.

I also bought some adhesive removing solution so that will be the second stage to clean the floor and then installation of the new floor.

I am planning to do all these things into a smaller area (about 150 sq feet) and hope to finish by late afternoon. It will largely depend upon how long it takes me to remove the flooring and clean the surface.

And yes, the flooring was not laminate flooring but engineered wood flooring.
 
#25 ·
get one of these, with the handle. this will make short work of it.
http://www.google.com/search?q=the+...eKWKo-oqwGk4oEw&ved=0CDMQsAQ&biw=1333&bih=748

get a 4 1/2" angle grinder and some grinding disks. this will grind the glue flat enough. just grind the glue till its flat with the floor. and get some dust masks .

concrete floor ? just get some mortor and fill the holes.

if you are floating the new stuff= you have to make the floor "flat". also, DO NOT use warped planks, even if the instructions say it is ok.
 
#2 ·
#10 ·
That flooring is murder on blades---dull in an instant---

I often use a cutting box and a skill saw---this takes two scraps of plywood and a couple of 1x2s ---make the box with a piece of ply on the bottom about 2 feet long and a couple of inches wider that a plank of the laminate--

Add one piece if 1x2 to the long edge of the ply--use glue and a couple of screws---lay on a plank for spacing---

Add the other piece of 1x2 on the opposite side of the plank----with a bit of space--

then glue and screw the top ply to the box---
using a square--add a 1x2 across the box as a guide for the skill saw--near the right hand end---

Set the blade depth to cut through the top and sides of the box and just skim the bottom---

Make sure there are no screws in the way of the cut line---and cut across the box---there that's a cut box----a larger version is often used by siding guys--with the addition of an adjustable angle guide for gable end cuts.

By the way---a $110 Kobalt sliding 7 1/4" miter saw will cut your flooring very nicely---Lowes---darn handy little saw and it uses regular circular saw blades/
 
#4 ·
Have other plans for the saw besides this one job? It's not a cheap tool.
Really need a 12" so you can cut it in one pass.
A simple Ryobi 12" will do anything a home owner would need and not break the bank.
 
#8 ·
If you use a jig saw cut it from the back side.
Make sure to leave the required gap on the outside edges or the floor will buckle. Should be right on the box or in the directions on line as to what gap is needed.
DO NOT NAIL INTO THE FLOOR ANYWHERE or it will pull apart!
Instead of having to spend all day with a tape measure checking the lenghts to cut the last piece of a run, a simple way is to spin the piece around set on the floor that's aready laid and mark it and cut. When you go to install it it should be an exact fit. UNtil you try it you'll have no idea what I'm taking about.
When first slipping the pieces together I work it up and down to work it into the groove instead of doing it in one motion. If not the piece sometimes wants to lift up. I set it then tap across the face of the piece with a white rubber mallet to make sure there's 0 gaps. (a black mallet leaves black marks)
 
#11 ·
Now, I have three recommendations - mitre saw, jig saw, and skill saw.

The box design makes sense. I probably need to to go the Lowes and see them actually. Any other thoughts or suggestions - note that while I consider myself quite a handyman, I don't have any experience with flooring or wood work. So, along with cost, I am also looking for something that is reasonably easy.
 
#15 ·
If this is laminate it should only possibly be glued to each other, not to the floor. It sounds like it might be engineneered hardwood. Pics would help. If its glue down engineneered flooring it should be on luan (1/4" ply).
 
#18 ·
If you have a circular saw----set the blade to cut the wood but miss the concrete--

Wear goggles and gloves----and start cross cutting the entire floor ---about two feet apart---

then use a flat bar and hammer and start breaking it up----

I have heard of a member that used a saws all with a long blade to cut the glue---
He laid the blade on the concrete and sawed between the concrete and the plank above----

I'm not sure that would be needed---just good to have as a 'plan B' if the stuff is really stuck to the floor---
 
#20 ·
I don't have a circular saw :( (After getting some feedback, I just bought a hardwood flooring saw kit that allows rip, cross-cut and miter).

Someone on yahoo suggested this method below Let me know what do you guys think of it:

"get an old thick bathroom towel - one you are willing to sacrifice cause it will probably not be usable after this project and a cheap steam iron like for ironing your clothes. you can pick one up for 8 to 12 bucks in most places. fill the iron with water put on highest steam setting. when iron is hot - lay the towel on the flooring and then iron it. working in small sections you will melt the glue under the floor enough that you can get a large putty knife under it and raise it up. the flooring make break off in chunks but that is ok. continue working in small sections until you have it all removed. at this point the towel will be sticky, you will be sticky, the subfloor will be sticky and the iron will be sticky and probably needs to be thrown away. to remove the stickiness/glue residue from the subfoor you will need to purchase a gallon of adhesive remover at your home improvement store and then follow the directions on it."
 
#21 ·
Sounds slow---you will still need a good flat bar and hammer----if you have a second hand shop---see if they have an old steam iron----for a couple of bucks,that might have some use---it also might pop off using the hammer and flat bar without the steam iron----
 
#24 ·
Status update on the project.

Glue is BAD BAD BAD!

I spend 2 hours taking the flooring off this morning - after making some cross cuts with the circular saw and using the floor chisel, the process went relatively better but I only got about 60 sq feet done (in that 2 hours, I spent most of the time taking break - I am pretty out of shape). I took an hour break and then spend another 2 hours (yes 2 hours) cleaning the adhesive. I had gotten some adhesive remover solution but it was a pretty slow process. I had to take a putty knife and scrape it slowly and I still did a pretty poor job. I will need to do this again.

I have about 500 sq feet remaining so it will take me a few weekends to finish the project. I will probably get a bigger pry crowbar and a bigger hammer.

I do a have question - at some places, the sub-floor came up with the glue/wood - what can I use to fill those spots? Also, does the surface need to be completely clear of glue before I put the new floor (it is a floating laminate flooring)?

Thanks,
M
 
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