How To Remove Carpet Glue From Hardwood Floor Technically (Solved!)

Are you wondering how to remove carpet glue from hardwood floor? 

You might want to make your hardwood floor more beautiful. But removing old carpet glue isn’t a simple process. When you start to remove previously installed carpet, you will notice the carpet glue left behind on the hardwood floor. If you want to bring back beautiful and shiny hardwood floors, you need to take several steps. Make sure you take care of the whole process without damaging the surface of the hardwood floor.

So, how to remove glue from hardwood floors naturally? When homeowners install their carpet on wooden floors, they use glue or adhesive in liquid form. It’s better to remove them to go back to their natural stage. Keep your eye to know the best way to remove underlay glue from the wooden floor. 

What Tools will You Need To Finish This Job?

  1. Best Adhesive or Glue Remover
  2. A wider Plastic Putty Knife
  3. A Pair of Rubber Gloves
  4. Sponge and Old Towels/Rags
  5. A good Respirator

How to Deal With the Carpet Glue

Carpet glue is a very strong adhesive and tough to remove. But you can’t leave it on your wood floor. If you leave it on the floor, it starts to collect dirt and grime, which will look horrible. 

You want to remove the glue as well as expect your hardwood floor will remain undamaged. This is the reason you need to remove the carpet first. 

You can easily remove the glue using a scraper or elbow grease. But there is a high chance you damage the hardwood floor. If you think to use soap and water, it will not give you a satisfactory result rather than shining the glue. 

That’s why you have to take back the glue in its initial stage, and solvents work well for the purpose. Solvents are mainly a chemical-based substance that helps you to get back the glue in the liquid stage. Once it is done, you can easily remove all glue without damaging the floor. 

How to Remove Glue Using Elbow Grease

Removing your carpet glue manually is very effective and time-consuming. It has several advantages and disadvantages, but you will pay the price if you carefully do that. First, put a pair of rubber gloves on your hands. It protects your hands from getting dirty. 

Now, use elbow grease over the glue and start removing the glue using a plastic putty knife. Make sure you only attack the glue. But there is a high chance of damaging the floor surface. So you have to deal with the plastic putty knife carefully. 

Once you detached all the glue, clean them using a vacuum. Afterward, you can sand the whole surface to make it more staining. 

5 Steps to Remove Carpet Glue from a Wood Floor Using Solvent

The solvent is a very effective way to remove carpet glue from the hardwood floor. It has some shortcomings that you should be aware of. You have to follow a few steps to avoid those. Let’s go through them. 

1. Prepare Yourself Before Start

Before starting, you have to deal with the right tools. And it starts with the right solvent or adhesive. 

Don’t forget to get a plastic putty knife or any scraper and make sure it’s wider enough to scrape glue. You will also need an old towel and rubber gloves. If you want to keep anything as a backup, get a heat gun or blow dryer, sandpaper, and water. 

Now, you have to prepare the room to start the work. Open the window and turn on the fan. That little participation will help the strong chemical work nicely. 

2. Apply The Chemicals and Solvents

If the glue is too thick and firmly attached to the floor, you can chip them with the putty knife. But chipping all the way has a chance to damage the wooden floor badly. In this case, you can weaken the glue by applying chemical solvent. 

First, you need to identify the type of glue used on your floor. If the glue is tar-based, you have to apply tar remover with mineral spirits. You can use orange oil solvent for any other carpet glue. 

Don’t apply the solvent in all areas. Test a small corner in the first stage. If you see the area is cleaned well without damage, continue with the rest of the areas. Once you have applied the solvent to the whole area, give the glue time to loosen. 

3. Scrape Away the Old Glue

After the solvent has finished its work, put gloves on your hand and find the loosest area to start removing. Use a putty knife to remove the carpet glue, gently scrape the glue. Make sure you don’t damage the wooden surface. 

If any glue doesn’t come out easily, be aware of forcing it. When you are finished, apply more chemicals or solvents and rub them with an old towel. Soon, you will see the glue is starting to lose. 

If the glue still remains, repeat those steps again until it’s gone. 

4. Clean The Surface

Once you successfully remove all the carpet glue, you have to clean the area. Rinse the surface with water and let it dry for 24 hours. 

If you want to smooth the imperfection area, sanding will be a great idea. And to do that, a light sander will be your main tool. Why light sander?

It slowly sands the wood grain without any damage to your hardwood floor. You will need this only when you see the area isn’t properly clean. 

5. Be Alert Using Rough Chemicals and Physical Pressure

If you are in a hurry or the previous methods didn’t work for you, don’t go for harsher chemicals or extreme pressure to speed up the work. You have to think about this twice. In the end, you may successfully remove the glue, but the wooden floor can be damaged badly, which may cost double or triple to repair. 

If you don’t have confidence, hiring a professional is a smart decision. Those flooring professionals remove all carpet glue without damaging the floor surface (Wood, Concrete, or Tile). You can save your floor and time by spending a few dollars. 

How Long Does It Take Time to Remove Carpet Glue from Hardwood Floors?

The actual time depends on how much work you have to do and how well you are prepared. Sometimes it depends on the types of glue you have to deal with. On average, the whole work can be done within 24 hours or sometimes more than that. 

If you work alone, this is an ideal time. But, more people can make the job easier to do in a short time. You must prepare fully with proper tools and knowledge. Otherwise, you can badly hit your hardwood floor. If you don’t feel much confidence to do it yourself, better to hire a professional. 

Final Words

So those are the details about how to remove carpet glue from hardwood floors. If you love to decorate your own home by yourself, these detailed guides definitely help you give your floor a good shape. Every step is very crucial to finish the job perfectly. But not too much like installing the whole floor. All you need to find the right solvent or chemical to remove the right type of glue. And also, you have to confirm the other tools. 

Now you know all that you have to do to remove those carpet glue. Please take the right steps and attack it in the right way to get your nice and smooth hardwood floor. Don’t think too much, just get what you want to achieve. We wish you to give your family a nice hardwood floor.

Leave a Comment