• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

Real Reno Nightmares

PPCLI Guy

Army.ca Fixture
Donor
Reaction score
3,520
Points
1,140
I live in a turn of the century townhouse in the Beach in Toronto.   I rent, but the landlord is more than happy to pay for materials (and the odd tool that I slip in) in order to get work done around the house.   We have been in th house since 2001, and it looks like we will be here for at least one, if not two more years.

So, I'm trying to curry favour with the wife (build up my Club B points - like Club Z, but the reward is waaay better ;)   what with me going away to AStan and all, so I decided to replace the kitchen floor with glueless laminate. Having already stripped two rooms back to their original subflooring, I knew that i was in for a treat...

Even though glueless laminate can be layed directly over existing floors, I decided that I needed to remove one layer of the old linoleum tiles, to reduce the overall height of the floor and ease the transition to the dining room.   Big mistake.

The first couple of tiles come up relatively easily - and there are really old tiles underneath.   So far so good.   It appears however that the guy who layed the tile floor ran out of tile glue, and so he used whatever he had at hand - which happened to be...wait for it...roofing tar   :eek:   Cue frustration - and then the inevitable weekend carpenter injury - hammer meet finger   :'(

With a bandage on (one of my two typing fingers - very aggravating) and renewed vigour, I attack the floor.   I tried every possible tool, looking for the TMD (tool of mass destruction) that would work, to no avail.   The only thing that works is a chisel and hammer.   Slow going, and the tar is very sticky.   It got so bad that I developed a blister on my palm under my work glove (last time I had a blistered palm I was 15... :-[

Standing up to get the first aid kit, I failed to realise that my shoes were stuck to the tar - and down I went in a heap, aggravating an old elbow injury (bone chip).

So, now I have a crushed finger, a blistered palm, and a bad elbow, and the floor is still not complete.   Bits of tar backed linoleum have been showing up all over the house (and my dogs), the wife is pissed at me, I wasted my well earned Club B points, and the floor still ain't done.

So today I will try and finish the tile removal (which as my wife has pointed out, really wasn't necessary).   I can't wait to wrestle with the flooring...

Dave

 
Like a sitcom Dave, I'm just trying to think of which one.
 
Dave,

Been there, done that but with plywood subfloor with three million nails in it.  Luckily, the snap laminate floor should be a breeze to put down.  We've done most of our big house ourselves with it.  Just remember to leave the gap around the edge of the walls (VERY important) and start each board under a heater (if you have them).  Its no fun finishing a board under a heater as its almost impossible to snap it in place.  As you can see, we've done everything wrong at least once before we learned our lessons.

Let us know how it goes.  Good luck.
 
I'm waiting for a couple of more reno stories until I post my "adventures in plumbing".
 
What may work best for you is to get yourself a gardening spade, or a similiar shovel or ice-chippier and try lifting them from underneath.  If the subflooring is original, it may be best to remove it and replace it with no less than 5/8" plywood, screwed down of course.  If the subflooring is rather new, and screwed down, it's best to use a large, flat-surfaced shovel like I stated before.  I'd normally suggest breaking them by hand with a flatbar and/or masonry chisel, but the tar will be hard to clean off. Try getting as much tar off that surface as possible, as even the smallest of clumps will show through the surface of your linoleum flooring. 
 
archer said:
What may work best for you is to get yourself a gardening spade, or a similiar shovel or ice-chippier and try lifting them from underneath.   If the subflooring is original, it may be best to remove it and replace it with no less than 5/8" plywood, screwed down of course.   If the subflooring is rather new, and screwed down, it's best to use a large, flat-surfaced shovel like I stated before.   I'd normally suggest breaking them by hand with a flatbar and/or masonry chisel, but the tar will be hard to clean off. Try getting as much tar off that surface as possible, as even the smallest of clumps will show through the surface of your linoleum flooring.  

Thanks for the advice.  The hard graft is over now, and I am ready to lay the floor.  I am using glueless laminate on top of a 7mm foam / vapor barrier, so minor imperfections are not a problem.  Replacing rthe sub-floor would have menat removing all cabinets etc, and as I am renting....

Dave
 
Dave, your story has touched my heart (really). I've used the click stuff in one bedroom and it went like a charm. Then, feeling proud of my newly aquired skills that must be second only to Bob Vila, I tried laying real oak flooring in the living room/dining room. Aye Caramba! What a job! My poor back was so sore I looked like a dog f--king a football for a week. So to all the folks out there that might be emboldened by someone's successful DIY, beware! It's never as easy as it looks on TV!

Peter
 
PeterLT said:
My poor back was so sore I looked like a dog f--king a football for a week.

That is one of the funniest lines I've heard in a while.   ;D Thanks Peter!

I recently heard from the in-laws that floors laid 15-20 years ago or earlier may have asbestos underneath, and that professional layers (is that what they call themselves?) won't rip it up, they just lay the new floor overtop. I'm talking about lino here, not hardwood or carpet.

FYI
 
PPCLI Guy said:
Thanks for the advice.   The hard graft is over now, and I am ready to lay the floor.   I am using glueless laminate on top of a 7mm foam / vapor barrier, so minor imperfections are not a problem.   Replacing rthe sub-floor would have menat removing all cabinets etc, and as I am renting....

Dave

Not a problem.  With the underlay, just beware of any popped nails as they can be a problem with linoleum floors.  As for the cabinets, in many cases they are left in place and the subflooring is cut and removed from around them.  Takes a while, but saves a lot of money. 
 
These are exactly the reasons why I don't use nails unless absolutely necessary.  I always use robertson screws even with the higher cost.  The guys at the local hardware store think I'm off my rocker but I've had to remove too many nails and I hate it.  Robertson rules!!  ;D
 
That is one of the funniest lines I've heard in a while.    Thanks Peter!

No problem, it's one of my favorites. Not so much for what it is but for the mental image it envokes. ;D
 
Back
Top