Carpet glue can be tough at times. In the worst case, the carpet adhesive can no longer be peeled off. In this case, extensive machine removal is required, but this can cost a lot of time and money. And only in rare cases are the residues soluble in water.
In this section, we want to show you how to remove carpet glue from concrete floors. You should always proceed carefully here and not simply remove the carpet glue carelessly.
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How to Remove Carpet Glue from Concrete Floors
If you cannot remove the carpet glue at all, you should remove it with a special tool or machine. There are electrical tools and of course very simple tools that can be used to remove the carpet adhesive.
Cut the carpet residue into strips with a hook blade utility knife
With a hook blade utility knife, cut the carpet residue into long strips that are 30 to 50 centimeters long. A carpet knife is sufficient in most cases. But a utility knife with a hooked blade is better. The strips should always be thin, otherwise, it can be difficult to remove the residue.
When it comes to tearing out the strips, it’s best to start at the corners. Then, work your way step by step and up to the middle of the floor. This work is very exhausting because you don’t use an electric tool. Therefore you should know your physical limits very well.
Remove carpet with carpet claw
A carpet claw can of course also be used to remove carpet glue. This has the same effect as using it with a knife and hook blade. The carpet claw is there to clamp the carpet or the residue and then remove the residue safely and carefully. You can get a carpet claw at a specialist dealer or in an online store such as Amazon.
Remove carpet with a floor scraper
A floor scraper is also suitable for removing stubborn residues. The floor scraper is a combination of sanding, cutting, and scraping. The carpet does not need to be removed before scraping because the floor scraper removes the entire carpet along with the carpet glue.
If the carpet is glued to a mesh back, the floor scraper is not suitable here. This is because the adhesive cannot separate from the floor scraper. Before you think about buying or renting a floor scraper, you should first check it.
Remove the back of the carpet with an electric scraper
An electric scraper is very suitable for removal because less physical exertion is required. An electric scraper has a high removal capacity and at the same time protects the concrete flooring. Electric scrapers often have an ergonomic design, which ensures optimal comfort during this work.
The electric scraper is much more suitable compared to manual removal measures such as floor scrapers or knives. With an electric scraper, even larger residues can be removed without any problems. The electric scraper is therefore also suitable for professional use.
Sanding concrete floor to remove carpet glue
In many cases, a disc sander is even the best method to work on the concrete floor. A hand sander not only has the ability to cleanly and carefully remove the carpet glue, but it is also able to really protect the concrete floor. In comparison, this is not really feasible with manual removal measures.
The sander also ensures that only as much of the surface is removed as is reasonable for the floor. When the residues have been removed, the concrete floor is smoothed with a grid-shaped abrasive net attachment. You can find this attachment in every hardware store or specialist shop. It is also worth taking a look at an online store.
Removing carpet glue from concrete floors
There are basically various measures to remove carpet glue from concrete floors. But you should always proceed carefully so that the floor is not damaged. When removing adhesive residue by hand, one should put one’s own health first, and only consider removing it with a hook if one is willing to exercise. If this is not the case, you are better off with an electric scraper.
Steps to Take After Removing the Carpet Glue
Prime the concrete floor
After the concrete floor has been cleaned of carpet glue, the floor must be primed. An adhesive and protective primer is suitable for this. This is solvent-free and low in emissions, and therefore ideally suited for environmentally conscious users. The primer also ensures that any floor attachment such as tiles or sealing can be applied without any problems.
Further information on processing, mixing ratio, and disposal can be found in the manufacturer’s technical data sheet. It is also important to wear protective equipment while using it. This can consist of protective goggles, a protective mask, and protective gloves.
Level the floor with leveling compound
After the carpet is removed from the concrete floor, the floor must be smoothed either to apply new carpet or to adequately seal the floor. Smoothing is done with a leveling compound. Leveling compounds are usually smooth and can be applied with minimal effort. Furthermore, leveling compounds harden quickly and the floor can be fully loaded again after just 3 hours.
Leveling compounds compensate for height differences of up to 3 centimeters. In order to select the correct leveling compound, however, you should always take a look at the technical data sheet or observe the manufacturer’s information. This is because some leveling compounds only compensate for height differences of up to one centimeter.
These compounds are of course also cheaper to buy. Finally, you can find further information on processing, guidance and disposal in the product’s technical data sheet. Here, too, it is recommended to wear protective goggles, a protective mask and protective gloves for the purpose of protection. You can get such products in a hardware store or in the corresponding specialist shop. Of course, you can also order floor leveling over the Internet, for example if you don’t need advice or know exactly what you need for floor leveling.
