Glue-down vinyl plank is a sensible landlord floor because it stays put through tenants, dogs and moving day. That same bond makes it slow to take up. When a unit turns over in a Lakewood fourplex, a South Tacoma duplex or a Puyallup rental house and the glued floor is lifting or worn out, it usually has to come off before a floating floor goes down.
This guide follows the order of work: paperwork, planks, adhesive, subfloor. Do it with the unit vacant, and do not pull a test plank first, because the first step comes before any scraping.
Before the first plank: survey and paint
Asbestos. Pierce County is in the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency's area, along with King, Kitsap and Snohomish. The agency says that for almost all structures an AHERA-certified building inspector must survey for asbestos before renovation, and its guidance says to check whether a survey exists regardless of the building's age. The exception it lists, where owners can do their own survey, is a single-family home the owner lives in. A rental does not fit it.
The results have to be posted at the site or shared in writing with anyone who may touch the material. If the inspector finds asbestos in old sheet vinyl, vinyl tile or mastic under the plank, it has to be removed by an asbestos contractor before the work or left undisturbed. Do not scrape it. Skipping these steps can bring penalties.
Lead. If the building dates from before 1978, taking off painted baseboards may count as renovation. Washington's Renovation, Repair and Painting program, run by the Department of Commerce, names landlords and property managers among those who need firm certification for that kind of work. Check before you pull painted trim.
Tools and gear
- A long-handled floor scraper with spare blades, plus a 4-inch hand scraper
- A heat gun and a utility knife
- A flat pry bar for transitions
- Heavy contractor bags or a sturdy bin
- A HEPA shop vacuum
- Knee pads, gloves, safety glasses and a well-fitted N95
Keep windows open while you use heat.
Step by step: lifting the planks
- Empty the unit and take off the transitions. Pull metal or wood thresholds, and any shoe molding you are cleared to remove. If the baseboards stay, tape them off so the scraper does not gouge them.
- Find a starting point. Begin at a doorway or a loose plank. Where nothing is loose, cut a narrow strip with the utility knife, taking care not to score the subfloor.
- Warm the plank. Move the heat gun on low over one plank at a time for a few seconds, until the adhesive softens. Keep it moving, keep it away from the walls and never scorch the vinyl.
- Drive the scraper low. Hold the long-handled scraper at a shallow angle and push under the plank. Change blades often. Go gently on plywood or OSB, because a hard push can lift the top layer of the wood.
- Bag as you go. Vinyl is heavier than it looks. Keep bags light enough to carry without twisting, and keep the floor clear of strips and blades.
- Scrape down the ridges. Take off what you can while the adhesive is still warm.
- Vacuum and look. Note stains, soft spots, cracks and damp areas, and photograph them.
Dealing with the adhesive
What you do next depends on the new floor, so read its installation instructions before you buy any remover. Several vinyl makers ask for all old adhesive to come off, and at least one allows sealing the residue with its own encapsulator when removal is not practical.
Feel what is left:
- A hard, thin, flat film. Scrape again. It may be acceptable under some products, but only if the new floor's instructions allow it.
- Tacky adhesive. This is the one to worry about. It can grab the back of an attached pad or underlayment and pin a floor that is supposed to float, and patching compound will not bond well to it. Remove it or seal it with a product approved for that.
- Ridges. Trowel ridges show through new plank. Scrape them flat.
Three cautions:
- Solvents and citrus removers. Instructions from some vinyl makers warn against them outright, because residue can stain the new floor or make it expand. Follow the adhesive maker's method, and keep anything you use off surfaces that will be patched or primed.
- Water on wood. Warm water and scrubbing may help on concrete. Do not flood plywood, OSB or particle board.
- Grinding. Do not grind or sand until the survey clears the material. Grinding concrete also makes silica dust, so hire it out unless you have a shrouded grinder and a HEPA vacuum.
Getting the subfloor ready
- Slabs. Basement and lower-level units often sit on concrete that wicks ground moisture. Test before you order; see moisture testing before flooring.
- Wood subfloors. Screw down loose panels and sand swollen seams. In manufactured homes around Parkland, Spanaway and Graham, particle board swollen at wet areas gets replaced with plywood.
- Flatness. Many floating floors call for flatness within 3/16 inch over 10 feet. Check with a long straightedge and fill low spots with a compound made for the job.
- Debris. Tacoma residents can take bagged vinyl to the City of Tacoma's Recovery and Transfer Center; check the rules and fees first. Elsewhere in Pierce County, check the county's solid waste pages. Asbestos waste is different: it goes only to a facility authorized to accept it, which is the abatement contractor's job.
Allow an extra day or two of vacancy for removal, on top of the install itself; the rental flooring guide covers how to schedule a turnover.
What it costs
These are typical Tacoma and Pierce County ranges for planning. They vary with the unit, the adhesive and current disposal fees, and the written quote after a measure is the real number.
| Item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Asbestos survey by an AHERA inspector | Commonly a few hundred dollars for one unit | Priced by the inspector and number of samples |
| Scrapers, blades, heat gun, bags | About $60 to $150 | More with a HEPA vacuum |
| Adhesive remover or encapsulator | About $40 to $120 per gallon | Confirm the new floor's maker allows it |
| Installer removal and disposal, glued vinyl | About $2 to $4 per sq ft | Dust control and heavy disposal |
| Subfloor leveling and repair | Often $1 to $3 per sq ft in affected areas | As measured |
| Transfer station disposal | Varies by weight or load | Check the current rate |
Set those against the rent you lose on each empty day. The Tacoma cost guide has product and prep prices.
When to call a professional
Hand it over when:
- The survey finds asbestos, or old sheet vinyl, vinyl tile or black mastic turns up under the plank before you have a survey in hand. Stop there.
- The building predates 1978 and the work means disturbing painted trim, unless you hold the certification.
- Planks are bonded to particle board or soft wood, and the top of the subfloor is coming up with them.
- The slab is damp, cracked or stained. See basement and below-grade flooring.
- You have several units or a tight gap between tenants, where per-unit pricing and a fixed date are worth more than the savings.
The floor removal and haul-away page covers what an installer does once the old floor is up. Call (425) 842-3483 to book a measure; installers cover Tacoma, University Place and Lakewood and the Puyallup valley and plateau.
