There’s a reason why so many homes and businesses have installed vinyl flooring. This tough and beautiful flooring material is easy to care for and comes in an array of styles, colors and textures. It’s no wonder that vinyl flooring is so popular. It’s even easy to install—just use a special vinyl adhesive and glue the flooring material to a properly prepared subfloor. However, there are instances where the adhesive actually could cause problems, such as adhesive staining.
Adhesive staining takes place when the multipurpose adhesive used to affix the vinyl to the flooring reacts negatively with the vinyl itself. This chemical reaction may appear as a small stain in a high traffic area and grow over several months. Often, an adhesive stain is yellowish and generally appears in the embossed parts of the vinyl floor. This type of bottom up staining is impossible to repair because it can’t be cleaned away, and the stain is appearing from the underside as a result of a chemical reaction.
The only real option to treat adhesive staining is to tear up the vinyl and replace it, or put a new floor over the top of the existing vinyl. Since vinyl makes a good underlayment material and the old adhesive won’t stain the new material, this is usually the best option for home buyers and home owners with this problem.
What is the proper adhesive for vinyl?
And how can I tear the old stained vinyl without damaging the floor?
Always use the adhesive the floor manufacturer recommends. If one is not listed on the installation instructions, contact the manufacturer’s tech department and have them send their recommendation to you in writing.