Carpet Glue Remover: All Your Options

Carpet adhesives keep the carpet intact and prevent it from getting wrinkles or being pulled out from ends. If carpets are installed in your home, you must have handled the chaos carpet glue brings with it while using and removing it from floors.

When the glue cools down, it slowly transforms into a hard solid, and being adhesive, it sticks to the floor, which is powerful enough to lift out. Hence, some catalyst is required to break those strong bonds and convert them into their liquified/melted form.

The following post will take you through different ways and a step-wise guide on how to remove glue from the floor.

Methods to remove carpet glue

Are you planning on changing the carpet or the flooring? But are stuck on how to remove that intense adhesive from the concrete floor. Given below points present different ways to pull out the glue from the floor.

Boiling hot water – Glue that is thick and deep is difficult to remove because hot glue is easier to use and remove, but comparatively, cold glue is difficult. Hence, boiling hot water can be used in order to lose the tight dried glue. But, there are some challenges.

Pouring the water may splash out and cause harm. In this case, wearing long boots and rubber gloves is recommended.

Secondly, once you pour the hot water, it will flow in some other direction and will not serve its purpose. For this, use a towel and then pour the hot water onto it. The towel will soak the heat and moisture for some time, which will help the heat to lose the tight glue.

Do not throw the hot water all at once. Because you can work on one small portion at a time, and by the time you reach the other end, the water will have turned cold and will not help anyway. Hence, only use the water in the area you’re working on.

Ironing – Hot water is a little risky in terms of getting injured. In that case, iron can be used. The only purpose is to warm the glue, so it loses its rigidness and starts melting. Use a newspaper and run a hot iron over it till the time the place is not so hot. After that, you can start scratching the glue out. The other alternative is to use the heat gun the same way as iron but without the use of newspaper.

Scraping – A scraper is a tool that has a metal blade used to scratch any unwanted thing from the surface. Similarly, it can be used for taking out the adhesive from the floor. You can use long-handled or short-handled as per your convenience to use the tool since the task is challenging and time-consuming.

Ammonia and detergent – Ammonia is a good cleaning agent. You can use it with detergent and water to soften the glue and take it out. But, it is advised to be very careful while using. Wear gloves and boots, and do not leave skin exposed to Ammonia. Also, use this solution in a diluted form.

Acetone/Paint thinner – Acetone and paint thinner are both used to clean the hard paint from the surfaces. Similarly, it can be used for pulling out hard glue. It is recommended to take every preventive measure before using such chemicals. These liquids hold the ability to melt the hard glue and lift it off the surface.

Dry ice – Dry ice makes the hard glue brittle and easy to pull off. Wear gloves and ensure the room is well-ventilated while using dry ice. You need to use the baking tray and leave the dry ice on the affected area for some time.

According to the condition of the glue and at your convenience, you may choose any of the above measures.

Removing Carpet Glue From Concrete Floor: Step-by-step guide

It is a challenging task to remove the difficult carpet glue. It requires a lot of effort to get off the surface completely. Therefore, a step-wise guide can come in handy after knowing the various products and methods to pull out stubborn glue. Follow the steps below to ease the process of removing carpet glue from the concrete floor.

Step 1 – Scratch out all the glue you can with a scraper’s help, and then sweep away the pulled-out pieces of dried glue.

Step 2 – Start by using a boiling water method to loosen the glue. Take all the precautionary steps mentioned above to prevent any injury.

Step 3 – Scratch out all the glue, which is possibly lifting off the surface with boiling water.

Step 4 – If, after using boiling water, there are still chunks of glue stuck to the floor, then you may shift to using any chemical given above or the glue remover. These tend to soften the glue chemically, which will help to take out all the glue at once. Keep taking preventive measures while going for chemical methods.

Step 5 – You’re left with minor glue particles in the concrete floor’s pores. For this, you can use a sander or buffer to get those pieces out of the floor. If still some chunks are left, then those can be pulled out by softening the glue with the help of a heat gun or iron.

Got a wooden flooring? The crucial points to consider

Besides concrete flooring, some people have wood flooring, and both are different in terms of their properties. So, certain chemicals and ways that can be used for concrete floors can not work for wood floors, such as Ammonia and acetone. Though these are effective, but can not be used on wood.

Acetone is a harsh chemical that, when applied to wood, will damage and discolor it. Similarly, Ammonia also reacts on wood leading to the deterioration of the finish. Instead of these, specific adhesive removers for wood can be used to remove stubborn glue. But consider the one which is not very strong and rough for wood material.

Other than that, the use of hot water, iron, and a heat gun can work very well on wood flooring, taking all the required precautionary measures. Also, please do not use the metal scraper on the wood floor, as it will scratch the finish too. Use a firm plastic scraper that is suitable for wood material.

Quick tips and tricks to follow

Scraping off the carpet glue from the flooring is a really strenuous task. Dealing with all the chaos can leave you baffled. Find some quick tips and tricks to prevent unnecessary mess.

Do not spill or overthrow any liquid you’re using to remove the glue all at once. It will be of no use as when you’ll finish the one and reach the other end, the effect of the solution will have gone. Work on a small area and use the solution for that part only.

Warm glue is easy to work on instead of cold glue, as cold glue gets stiff and hard.

Whatever solution you’re using, leave it for some time on the affected area since it takes time to react and soften the glue.

While buying and using the remover, read the manufacturer’s directions carefully, especially for wood floors.

Choose an adhesive remover that is not too harsh and strong on the floor.

Final Thoughts

It requires a lot of effort to remove the stubborn and hard glue from the floors. But, some easy-to-carry-out ways can help in pulling it easily. You can start by using easy methods initially, like hot water, iron, and heat gun, as these are cost-effective and do not cause any harm to the floor. If still, there are some difficult chunks left on the surface, then you may choose any of the other solvents mentioned-above as per your convenience and requirement.

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