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I wanted to save money and do it myself, so the old do it your self man stepped up to the plate on the task of removing my kitchen linoleum. My wife and I had recently purchased an older home and since I was retired now, the job was mine. I spent most of the day, removing the shoe molding from the base board. I had my two strong sons move the appliances out the way, while I surveyed what needed to be done. I chose to start where the stove had been and I took a tile knife and lifted it from the base board to see what was underneath. To my dismay, it had three layers of linoleum underneath.

This was a set back and instead of having one layer the floor had three incredible layers of glued together sheets from hell. Luckily the middle layer had not been glued. I took the tile knife and cut completely through half the rooms linoleum. The boys and I rolled the two parts toward each other, till they met in the middle of the room. I had the boys duct tape each roll, to keep them from coming apart and make them easier to handle. Once out of the way, the hard task to remove the glued down linoleum was at hand.

Before you start the task of removal, check the edges to see if there are any tacks in the corners holding the linoleum down, it will save you a lot of heart ache and cursing later on. I want to stress the fact, that if you are a religious person, please hire a professional. You will say words that you will have to repent for later on. Once you have done all the checks needed, you can take your linoleum peeler, and put it under the edges of the linoleum and shove it deep under at a forty five degree angle. Let it hold the flap up till you can insert the other linoleum peeler two foot from the first.

The trick to this is to give each tool room and allow you to inspect for upraised nails protruding from the sub floor. Nothing hurts worse than shoving the linoleum peeler in to a up raised nail. This is hard enough work without dislocating your elbows. My two sons rolled the linoleum as I used the peeler. Going from one end to the other as I worked the linoleum. I would take my hammer and seat any up raised nails I came across.

Once the linoleum was up, I had to check for any water damage that might be apparent. If your floor is in good shape, you have no worries. I decided to remove the nails from the sub flooring and replace them with screws. This will repair any squeaking floor and keep the sub flooring from popping up when you lay down your new flooring.

The part that is most difficult, can be made simple. The removal of the dried glue on the sub flooring, is best removed by turning the glue on a floor to powder. I was going to use solvents but decided against it because of the hazards to pets and grand kids. I put plastic sheeting around my cabinets and counter tops and along the walls, to protect and conceal this room from the rest. I rented a industrial floor sander and while my sons used my big shop vac to remove unwanted dust away. It is always good practice to wear a respirator and clothes you can throw away later. This is a dirty nasty job to do in a confined place.

Tools to use for job:

(1) Linoleum peeler - It has a four foot handle with a six inch blade.

(2) Gloves and respirators.

(3) Safety glasses.

(4)Plastic sheeting (comes in rolls).

(5) Duct tape.

(6) Rent a industrial floor grinder ( makes job quicker).

(7) Shop Vac for dust control.

It is a good rule of thumb for the DIY people to say a little prayer before they start a project. Removing linoleum can test your patience and stress your brain. Still it is a good family project and can save you money by demoing the linoleum yourself. Plus you spend quality time together with the family.

Learn more about this author, Rex Coker.
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