Power strip vinyl flooring
1 of 2
Photo 1: Score the vinyl flooring
Measure out 10 in. from the
wall and score the vinyl
flooring with a utility knife.
Then repeat scoring every
10 in. all the way across the
room.
2 of 2
Photo 2: Guide the machine down each strip
Steer the machine down the scored swath and let it
do all the work. Let the stripped vinyl roll up in front of the
scraper blade.
I’ve removed vinyl flooring
with a handheld floor scraper,
and I’ve done it with a rental
oscillating floor scraper
machine. The handheld floor
scraper technique took the
better part of the day, and my
back, palms and arms were
sore for a week. For the next
flooring removal job, I rented
a power floor scraper. The
entire job was over in less
than 20 minutes, and I didn’t
even break a sweat. The
machine rents for about $40
for four hours.
Start by scoring the vinyl
(Photo 1). Next, adjust the
angle on the floor scraper until
it pulls up vinyl without gouging
the subfloor. Then turn it on and
let ’er rip (Photo 2).
Ceramic tile blade on scraper
Use Power to Chip Out Floor Tile
Ordinary floor scraper blades
won’t stand up to ceramic or
porcelain tile. But some rental
machines accept an optional
tile chisel. If your rental store
offers that feature, just
remove the wide scraper
blade, slide in the chisel
attachment and secure it
with the bolt and washer.
Then fire it up and let the
machine do the dirty work
for you.
