How To Remove Glued Down Carpet Pad From Concrete – Detail Instruction

Glued down carpet pad is commonly used in decorating houses and buildings. But over time, the carpet pads got old, and homeowners probably want to replace them with a new one. How to remove the old ones from the concrete floor with such carpet adhesive?

It turns out to be a challenging task. If you are struggling with this, take a moment to read my post below. I would like to share with you how to remove glued down carpet pad from concrete after many trying times. Let’s scroll down to read!

Why Is It Difficult To Remove Glued Down Carpets?

During the installation process, people often use a strong mastic to stick the carpets down onto the ground, making the removal process tougher.

Many homeowners are likely to hire a professional to save time and effort, but it does not mean you can’t deal with this task. In my case, I spent my whole weekend getting the work done, and the result is quite rewarding! Now, let’s head to my second part with DIY instructions!

How To Remove Glued Down Carpet Pad From Concrete – Detailed Guide

Step 1: Scraping The Surface Applying A Floor Scraper/Utility Knife 

As the padding part generally sticks strongly to the concrete floor, you must prepare a few types of specialized equipment before the scrapping process: 

A floor scraper/utility knife: Both tools are acceptable, but a scraper is highly recommended as it will help the process faster and simpler. 

Knee pads and a pair of gloves: These items will protect you while implementing the work.

A mask: The padding removal process will release a quite big amount of dust, even mold sometimes. Thus, a mask will prevent you from breathing in these pollutants. 

A floor scraper is useful to remove the carpet adhesive. (source)

Once you have finished preparing, you can get started by scraping the padding from an angle. Do it carefully and not touch the layer under it. 

Don’t expect much in this process as it will not help you move all padding parts away immediately, but a part of it. Just scrape as much as you can, set the large piece of residue to another side, and follow the second step below.  

Step 2: Softening The Glued Padding Utilizing Hot Water Or Mineral Spirit

In this step, either applying hot water or mineral spirit can help you soften the glued padding. In my case, I used hot water as this is simple to do and safe for me. 

Now, just estimate the amount of water that you have to use for all the padding areas, then pour hot water slowly onto the place. Make sure you wear gloves and even work boots to protect yourself while doing so. After that, wait for around 10 minutes before the next step. 

There is another way of doing this step that you can try. If the area you are scraping is not so big, put a towel cover on it, then pour the water onto the towel. Keep it this way for approximately 30 minutes. 

Some of you might choose to apply mineral spirit to soften the padding instead of utilizing hot water. It is fine, but there are some drawbacks of this chemical: it is quite expensive, and you will have to wait for around 30 minutes before scraping.

Step 3: Scraping The Padding Residue 

It’s time to do the most important step – scrape the padding residue. Do it as quickly as possible as you have to get all the residue before the material cools off. You can again utilize the scraper in this step! 

In case it still sticks with the section, you should add more hot water onto it before doing the scrapping again. There is a possibility that you can’t remove all of the persistent glue at the same time, don’t worry! Move to our next step. 

Step 4: Warming Solution Of Water With Soap And A Concrete Brush 

The solution of warm water and soap will help you remove the rest residue. All you have to do is to mix the soap with the warm water, then dip a rag into the solution before wiping it over the ground. Next, apply a brush to clean away the padding. Repeat this step several times until all parts of the padding get removed.   

Step 5: Utilizing Adhesive Remover And Scrub 

In case the solution of warm soapy didn’t work much for you, then using adhesive remover and scrub will help you solve the whole thing. 

There are many sorts of adhesive removers used for carpets on the market, but picking up a random one will raise the risk of being in touch with hazardous chemicals for users. 

I suggest you use the 626 glue remover as it possesses good features like non-flammable, eco-friendly, and low odor. It can also remove latex, adhesive, acrylic from concrete floors effectively.

Whichever option you choose, you had better read the instructions and health warnings on the packages before applying them. Make sure all the windows open while you are doing the work. 

Use glue remover 626 as the last step. (source)

The adhesive remover will soften the padding, so you can clean it easier. Rinse the place with hot water. Wait for a while for it to get dry before applying the new flooring. 

The Bottom Lines!

Although hiring a professional worker can help implement the work faster and easier, knowing how to remove glued down carpet pad from concrete by yourself is still a cool thing to DIY lovers like us.

Don’t forget to prepare all the necessary equipment before rolling your sleeves. By this article, we hope you can do the work successfully by yourself now. Good luck!

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