When you have concrete floors that once had carpeting on, you’ll find remnants of flooring adhesive after you remove the carpet. If you plan to leave the concrete floor bare, you need to remove the glue and carpet remnants to improve the look. Leaving the glue is not a good thing because dirt and grime can stick on it that would make it harder to remove and maintain overtime. Although there are numerous chemicals to remove glue, none is as effective and eco-friendly as with the use of boiling water.
Things You’ll Need
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Scraper (spackling tool, garden hoe or heavy-duty blade scraper)
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Push broom
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Pot (for boiling water)
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Water
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Pot holder
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Garden or rain boots
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Safety eye goggles
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Vacuum
Remove all carpet remnants by scraping with a heavy-duty blade or spackling tool. Take off as much of the carpet chunks as you can.
Use the push broom to sweep away the remnants.
Boil water in a pot. Choose large pots to accommodate enough in order to remove as much carpet adhesive that you would need to remove. You can choose a deep, wide pot used for boiling meet or pasta that can hold up to 5 gallons of water at a time.
Pour the boiling water over the glue. Protect your eyes by using goggles to prevent the hot water splatter from reaching your eyes. To protect your feet and legs, wear garden or rain boots.
Let the boiling water sit for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the glue to soften and turn pliable.
Scrape off the carpet adhesive using a heavy-duty blade scraper or spackling tool. If you have a bad back, you can also use a garden hoe so that you do not need to bend too much; just make sure not to use too much force that can damage the concrete floor. Avoid scratching the floor by gently pushing the scraper underneath the glue. Pour more boiling water and repeat the process to remove the stubborn or hard-to-remove glue.
Remove excess water and dry the floor. Then, sweep the floor to remove the chunks of glue removed from the floor. Use a vacuum to remove the smaller pieces and dust.
Source: eHow
