Warning: The new glue-down vinyl planks are a lot harder to pull up than the old stuff

I had to do a repair on a job from three years ago, and the planks came up in pieces with the underlayment still stuck. The adhesive they use now is a whole different beast. Anyone else run into this when trying to fix a small section?

3 comments

3 Comments

grantw321mo ago

Is that really a bad thing though? A floor that won't come up easy means it was installed right and will last. Sounds like the new glue is just doing its job better.

hannah_perry1mo ago

My contractor buddy in Phoenix said he needs a heat gun and a wide scraper just to get one plank up now.

sarah_patel251mo ago

Yeah, that Phoenix guy is right about the heat. I tried it on a job last month and you still need to go slow, like 30 seconds per foot with the gun on low. Even then, the plank usually snaps if you rush it.