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Flooring - Hardwood

Removing Glue From Hardwood

Question: The previous owner of my house put some linoleum over a hardwood floor. I have ripped up a big part of it and now have some glue residue left in spots. Could someone tell me a good way to get the glue off or does it just need to be sanded. I cannot afford to have the floor refinished like it needs to be right now and thought maybe if there was a way to make it look a little better for a few months until I get it done I would.

Answer: Without knowing what type of adhesive was used, you will have to have some trial and error. Use a fiberglass pot scrubber, gently, in circular movements over the adhesive - first try acetone (nail polish remover), if that doesn't work, try alcohol (rubbing alcohol from the pharmacy will work fine), then comes varsol and if none of the above work, anything else will probably damage the wood. After using any of the above chemicals wash that area of the floor with some warm water and dishwasher detergent. Try not to breath in the fumes as you are leaning over the spot and scrubbing, they will give you a good headache. Best if you can pick a day when you can open the windows.

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