Removing Peel & Stick Floor Tile Residue

cpw

Charles
Corporate Member
Bought a mobile home we're fixing up.
Had peel & stick tile squares in the kitchen/laundry. The tile popped right up but left behind a lot of sticky residue.
The sub-floor is particle board.

Anyone have a go to method for removing the residue?
Most common solutions on the interwebs:
  1. Soak area with dish soap & water mix (not good on particle board)
  2. CitriStrip Adhesive Remover, which apparently doesn't exist anymore
  3. Acetone (not eager to pass out or blow up)

TIA

Charles
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
Test a small area with mineral spirits, they make a special low oder variety that is not bad. It won't explode but will burn if exposed to flame. it is very similar to charcoal lighter fluid.

The adhesive is oil based so not many waterborne solutions are available to remove it.

Of course you could just cover it up with carpet, linoleum, or a floating wood floor.

Or even butcher paper...
 
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Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
Good suggestions, or you could cover it with 3/16" ply and then do what ever. Or you could remove the particle board and install plywood. Lots of choices, good luck.
 

tri4sale

Daniel
Corporate Member
Bought a mobile home we're fixing up.
Had peel & stick tile squares in the kitchen/laundry. The tile popped right up but left behind a lot of sticky residue.
The sub-floor is particle board.

Anyone have a go to method for removing the residue?
Most common solutions on the interwebs:
  1. Soak area with dish soap & water mix (not good on particle board)
  2. CitriStrip Adhesive Remover, which apparently doesn't exist anymore
  3. Acetone (not eager to pass out or blow up)
TIA

Charles

I've rehabbed a lot of mobile homes. My advise is to just cover it with Luan or whatever flooring you're going to install there. They time and energy isn't worth trying to remove it.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
  1. Acetone (not eager to pass out or blow up)
There's nothing wrong with using acetone or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) and you won't pass out or blow up the trailer. Yes, they're both flammable but not like gasoline. Use good ventilation to avoid breathing the vapors and work in small areas removing the adhesive with a paint scraper.

Covering it with plywood or luan is probably your best option.
 

cyclopentadiene

Update your profile with your name
User
Water based, alcohol and ketones are poor for removing most adhesives. The optimal solvent is toluene. The smell is not pleasant to a non chemist but it will remove the residue quickly. It is flammable but has a higher flashpoint than acetone
 
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Ed D

Ed
Senior User
I was in your place about 10 years or so ago. I wasted a few $$ trying to remove it, ended up with 1/8" luan and construction adhesive, then the new floor. still in good shape.
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Water based, alcohol and ketones are poor for removing most adhesives. The optimal solvent is toluene. The smell is not pleasant to a non chemist but it will remove the residue quickly. It is flammable but has a higher flashpoint than acetone

From a chemist to another chemist. The claim is that acetone will work too. It's still probably easier to just put a new floor over the old particleboard and leave the adhesive alone.

 

RickR

Rick
Senior User
Been a lurker for a while. First post here. Depends on what you plan to replace flooring with. I had the same issue and found that rather than remove the residue I could just make it un-sticky by sweeping it with a mixture of 1 part corn starch and 3-4 parts fine saw dust. In my case I laid sheet vinyl over it with no issues.
 
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Jeff

New User
Jeff
" make it un-sticky by sweeping it with a mixture of 1 part corn starch and 3-4 parts fine saw dust."

Welcome to NCWW, Rick.

Did the residual adhesive actually come off of the floor cleanly or was it still there but just not sticky anymore.
 

cpw

Charles
Corporate Member
Still there but not sticky.
Thanks for all the ideas. I didn't want to cover with anything dimensional because we are replacing all of the flooring, except the bathrooms, with click-lock laminate, and I am trying to avoid height transitions. I already have two pairs of shoes that have a bunch of dirt and particle board stuck to the soles. I couldn't imaging trying to spread plastic sheeting over this sticky mess without a bunch of wrinkles and what not.
We kinda went with RickR's suggestion, but we used diatomaceous earth instead, because we already had it and it is relatively inert compared to cornstarch and wood dust, which decompose.

Cheers,
Charles
 

Oka

Casey
Corporate Member
Use a heat gun to lossen then use the orange oil based remover, then go to Naphtha or Xylene . My guess The xylene will probably take the remnants off once you have the basic clean done.
 

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