# Removing a glued down hardwood floor.



## oh'mike

Wow--Very helpful video! Thanks for the time saving tip!


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## Gulledge

Mike,

Thanks! I guess I could have shown in the video me using the hammer and prybar or the floor scrapers to show the dramatic difference the sawzall makes. But I didn't really want to make it a commercial for a sawzall. The video didn't really show it to well, but the glue underneath the floor is a very tacky, sticky substance, not a dryed solid like cement. When I used the prybar at first, many times the wood would break before the 1 foot section would come up. Thats how strong the glue is. 

Also, sawzall makes a floor scraper attachment, but I broke two of these on some laminate flooring that I removed about a month prior. What seems to be going on here is the rapid movement of the blade is creating heat and helping the glue to release. Its almost like having a combination of a heat gun and scraper in one. And best of all the sawzall of doing the work!. I blistered my hands using the floor scraper!

I'm using a 9" Milwaukee Ax blade in the video.


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## DangerMouse

On dialup I can't load the video, but I'm sure it helps!

Thanks for posting!

DM


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## oh'mike

I think the video was just fine---By the time someone finds that video,they already know about scrapers!:laughing::laughing::laughing:

That flooring glue is almost like rubber cement --with a bad attitude--

I've broken a scraper or two trying to pry up that stuff---The Sawsall sure did make that job easier--Thanks again.--Mike--


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## KarlJay

That's thinking outside the box... Smart stuff.


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## AllanJ

Gulledge said:


> What seems to be going on here is the rapid movement of the blade is creating heat and helping the glue to release. Its almost like having a combination of a heat gun and scraper in one. And best of all the sawzall of doing the work!. .


Gets me thinking. How about plain heat, using a hair dryer or a (clothes) iron?


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## DangerMouse

Perhaps someone that CAN see the video could tell me what he did?

DM


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## rditz

I will have to remove glues hardwood from a wood floor. I am sure it will be a real pain in the butt... seeing this method with a sawzall is definitely something I hadn't thought of trying, but I definitely will when the time comes.

thanks

rod


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## Gulledge

AllanJ said:


> Gets me thinking. How about plain heat, using a hair dryer or a (clothes) iron?


 
I have a Milwaukee Heat Gun and have tried to use it on the glue after removing the flooring planks. The heat gun helps but produces alot of smell due to burning the glue at times. There is glue left on the floor after using the sawzall method, but I found it to be minimal if you keep the sawzall blade as flush with the concrete as possible. After you get started, try appling steady pressure to the sawzall to move accross the glue but also keep slight downward pressure on the sawzall (to make the teeth of the blade piont toward the concrete slightly). The idea is for the sawzall blade to cut through the glue and not cut into the wood at all. 

Once you get the technique down, whole planks will come up with no wood left on the floor. Just a light film of glue will be left.


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## oh'mike

DangerMouse said:


> On dialup I can't load the video, but I'm sure it helps!
> 
> Thanks for posting!
> 
> DM



He has a room full of glued down engineered hard wood flooring--

After using a skilsaw to make relief cuts about 18" apart---

He ran a long sawsall blade under the old flooring and very quickly released the board by cutting the glue---


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## DangerMouse

Ah! Cool, I was imagining a rigged up old putty knife blade on the sawzall.... lol


Hey! That might have worked too! But kinda 'thumpy' to work with.... sort of like a jackhammer....

DM


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## Gulledge

Guys, 

After making that first video, I wanted to make another that showed what I was up against using a prybar. That first video made it look like there really wasn't to much glue under the floor. In the second video, you'll be able to really tell. 

I have been working in another room, so we begin at about the same area of the house. I hope everyone enjoys the video, and let me know if there is anything else you would like to see on youtube about the floor. 

I recently completed a tile floor which was done using hardy cement board over a plywood subfloor. I really wish I had made step by step youtube video's of that but I'm already finished. Anyway, hope you like the video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgAB0ZwjoXY


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## oh'mike

Danger Mouse--This is your seeing eye dog----Man on his knees--stuck to the glue covered floor--

Banging in a flat bar --time and time again--prying a stuck chunk of flooring loose--

it breaks free---man pulls board from floor--can't throw it away--board stuck to glove--

Thank God you aren't deaf--my sign language typing is dismal---Mike--


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## DangerMouse

oh'mike said:


> Danger Mouse--This is your seeing eye dog----Man on his knees--stuck to the glue covered floor--
> 
> Banging in a flat bar --time and time again--prying a stuck chunk of flooring loose--
> 
> it breaks free---man pulls board from floor--can't throw it away--board stuck to glove--
> 
> Thank God you aren't deaf--my sign language typing is dismal---Mike--


I'm sorry.... could you repeat that? :laughing: 
Sounds like a certain 3 stoogey type fellows I remember seeing somewhere....
Is it in black and white? LOL

DM


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## oh'mike

Gulledge---Keep up the good work--You have had an amazing number of visits to this post---Mike--


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## DangerMouse

And if it's helped even ONE reader get through a 'sticky situation', it was well worth the effort!

I Thank You as well.

DM


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## Floyd68

*Sawzall...*

We are trying to remove glued down floors in our dining room, however the glue underneath is not tacky or sticky like you described. It feels more like rubber or cement. We've tried the sawzall, crowbars, you name it. It's taking forever. We bent the blade on the sawzall. Other ideas? Besides hiring someone to do it for us.

thanks!


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## Gulledge

Floyd,

I read your post with interest. I'm a bit confused. You describe the adhesive as more like a rubber or cement? I'll try to help to as best I can. You mention you bent the blades on the sawzall. Just a few tips to make sure you were doing it right.

1. The blade should not the used in the same way as a scraper. In other words you should not be going in and out of the wood from the concrete. Once the blade is under the wood, the teeth and blade itself are run along between the concrete and the adhesive.

2. The blade I used was a 9" AX blade by Milwaukee. Shorter blades will bend or break. You need to have the long length and well as a thick blade to make everything work. Short cheaper knock off blades may give you bad results. What type of blade did you use? The fact that you are bending blades tells me the blade is probably to short, and may be a thinner type. The AX blade by Milwaukee is extra thick. In over 600SF of floor removal, I never bent a blade. In all fairness, I did break 2 AX Blades during the entire removal, but ther broke in two pieces, usually right near the back of the blade where it fits into the saw. You need to have a long length and thick blade to make this work. Also don't go to deep into the under the wood, as pushing the blade all the way in, invites blade bending.

3. You might want to shorten your lenths that you cut when you made your circular saw cuts. This would mean you are going to be removing shorter pieces at a time, but may make it easier for the sawzall to do its work.

I am very interested in helping you find an easy way to get your floor up, as I understand exactly what your going thru. If there is anyway for you to make a short youtube video showing what your dealing with please do it. Lastly, I think we'll be able to find out what the issue is, but as a last resort, you could rent an electric jackhammer with a scraper attachment from Home Depot or a larger ride on machine called a Terminator, but I think once we find out what the problem is, we can get that floor up....NO problem. Don't give up yet. Describe for us further, with pics or a video would be even better, what your dealing with. I can made another video to help demonstrate anything you might want to see also.


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## Floyd68

Thanks for the quick feedback. We rented an electric floor scraper and it still won't come up. We can get pieces up with a pry bar, but everything splinters. The floor underneath almost looks like they glued the floor on top of tile adhesive. They were thorough for sure. Our blades are long enough and it works on parts, then catches and won't move. We are at a loss.


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## oh'mike

Can you post a picture of what you have done so far? Sounds like the floor was glued with a very hard glue,


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## Gulledge

I'm with OhMike, we really need some pics here. Once you said the floor still wouldn't move after renting an electric jackhammer, you've got me stumped. We really need some pics to see whats going on here.


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