Cutback adhesive removal discovery.
I am posting this in the tools section because…
I wanted to pass this along after spending too much time tracking down methods for easy/clean removal of old cutback adhesive that’s found under old 9″ vinyl asbestos tiles.
Mechanically scraping it off is a miserable option.
(No, this is not a sales pitch but because I am discovering this cutback glue removal issue is a headache for a lot of folks.
I did not want to just cover over the stuff.)
I am picking up a 5-gallon container of this stuff from the nearest local supplier about an hour away.
Without having tried it I have a good feeling this will work as well or better then anything I’ve been able to find.
The most appealing aspect of this is it is not a solvent based product and water is used as a final rinse.
Replies
Hope it works. Please post us an update when you have used it.
Ditto, what bugleheade said
I've got to deal with this stuff all the time, so I really would appreciate feedback on
this product
I certainly intend to provide feeback.
I decided to dig deeper into this matter after encountering mostly less then satisfactory responses from floor installers.
Ironically it is probably a flooring biz that installed the tiles in the first place.
Fortunately I wasn't pressed for time so the flooring project sat idle while searching in Breaktime and some other Flooring forums.
Ultimately it was a commercial distributor who tipped me on this stuff and I can't wait to pick up the 5-gallon pail with my name on it.
That will be next week when I get a chance to make the hour drive down the Interstate.
A preliminary report....
Picked up the 5-gallon can of Oil-Flo 141 yesterday and went straight to a small spot in our basement laundry room.
Transferred some into a spray bottle using a funnel.
It is a clear liquid and flows easy enough for using a sprayer for application.
According to the company, they add a fragrance and it is sweet and critrus-like. (The regular Oil-Flo would be too powerful and fumy for indoor use.)
It's tolerable but could get fairly pungent in an enclosed area.
A respirator with a charcoal cartridge is what I would use, no matter if the work area is ventilated or not.
It does emulsify the cutback into a black slurry when it is in a thin layer and can be followed up with a damp mop and rinsed because it become water soluable.
This means the mop itself will be ok during the course of the project.
A thick layer of cutback will require several applications and agitating with a scrub brush.
The person at Titan said some use a flat shovel or scraper for picking up the emulsified goo to get most of it off the floor and then follow up with another application of the 141 and mop up the rest.
Each situation would call for different techniques.
I found the emulsified cutback was a bit too runny to be able to pick up with a scraper and the thick layer of cutback can't be scraped up because the 141 hasn't done its thing through the layer.
Some patience will be needed in certain situations.
A large scale operation will commence next door in basement apartment living/bedroom and hallway with exposed cutback.
All windows will be open with several fans and I will use a garden sprayer and wear a respirator.
Work will be done in sections and mopped up instead of spraying down the whole area.
A large head cotton mop and a janitorial mop bucket/squeezer setup will be used for wiping up the cutback.
So far, so good.
Still not an easy operation but this is the best option thus far short of just laying new flooring right over it, which is what I don't want to do.
(The supplier does have clear VCT adhesive that is rated for applying over cutback.)
Edited 3/2/2004 8:53:22 AM ET by Ahneedhelp
A couple of thoughts.
What about some dry ice over the thicker stuff. Make it brittle and try cipping it out.
And for the soupy stuff get some saw dust, oil dry, cat litter, to absorb it up.
Bill -
Dry ice is a good idea, and I've heard others mention this for loosening the tiles/cutback together.
I would be interested to see if the thick layers of cutback will chunk straight off the concrete or maybe even lift up with the tiles.
There is a place less then a mile away that sells dry ice.
The 141 may be better for cleanly removing the thin layers and leftover residue down to the bare concrete.
As for using absorbants, that would be a good option as well.
The idea is the damp mop will pick up the water-soluable stuff for rinsing/squeezing in a bucket.
The mop is part of the opeation at least for the final followup.
The 141 seem to dissolve the cutback down to the concrete layer.
I will get some dry ice and try another section that is still tiled.
Wonder what sort of bag I should use for dragging around the dry ice ?