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Glue removal issues


Lady-K

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I'm at the demolishing stage of renovating an old Van Buren. Removing all the old broken pieces that I can't use.

It's been going pretty well, except for the glue;

Most of the flooring was held on with spray-mount, I think. The floors were warped so I could just pry them out, but the sticky glue residue remains.

My biggest problem is a kitchen floor, wood tiles, and I think the previous owner used wood glue. Some tiles will crack and break(I'm trying to save/reuse what I can, so that's a small problem), but most won't even budge. And the glue stays stuck to the floor either way.

Possible Solutions(That I know of);

1. Water-Tried it, doesn't work.

2. Heat-Sometimes a blowedryer is enough to melt glue, but I don't have electrical acess(aside from lights) in my work area. Heat and water tend to work on the same glues, so I'm guessing it wouldn't work anyway.

3. Goo Gone.

4. Nailpolish remover.

I had someone try to talk me out of nailpolish remover (the stuff is pretty harsh), but I think they were worrying more about the old paint being ruined. I'm repainting though, so that's not an issue. And I have used Goo Gone to get stickers off of plastic, but that's it.

So I guess that I'm looking for some thoughts or suggestions. I'm fine with(and probably will) trying goo gone and nailpolish remover, but if that's a terrible idea-Now would be a good time to stop me. :D

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Goo Gone and acetone (the active ingredient in nail polish remover) will probably work well with the spray adhesive. For wood glue I've found that a metal putty knife, a hammer and a very slow, gentle touch will do the job, followed by sanding. I had issues with ceramic tiles in my first rehab. I would use any chemical solvent outdoors, or on a screen porch or other extremely well-ventilated area, away from the family pets & people with respiratory issues.

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Baby oil will work just like goo gone, and is less expensive; especially if you happen to need quite a bit. Trust me here, I removed double sided carpet tape from my basement stairs recently. That's for the stuff that stays sticky.

For wood glue, you can use white vinegar. The vinegar may give your wood a grey or aged appearance, however you said you were planning to refinish it anyway. So a quick sanding and painting over should be no problem.

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Thanks for the warning about having good ventilation, Holly. I think I'm going to try baby oil and vinegar first, which I had not thought of (thanks April), but if those don't work I guess the Van Buren has to take another trip outside. XD

And I sort of tried the putty knife idea, but I wasn't being very nice about it. I was prying instead of trying to chistle out the pieces. They break when I do that, and they might still even when I'm careful. I won't be heartbroken over it if that's all that works though.

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll let you know how it works out.

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  • 2 months later...

I used Gorilla Glue because I couldn't find my Tacky Glue...AND OF COURSE...I had to take a couple of pieces apart. I went on the Gorilla Glue website and they pretty much said that I should forget about trying to get the joints apart due to Gorilla Glue's sticking power. However, I rummaged around in the basement and found a can of Odorless Mineral Spirits. I poured that on both sides of the joint and wiped the area down. I waited about 30 seconds then used a paint scraper with a really thin blade (but a small chisel should work too) in the joints. I used a rubber mallet to hit the scraper with. As I loosened an area, I made sure to stick the edge of the scraper in the loosened piece to use a guide to for the next area...it helped me maintain the correct depth and minimize damage. Whooo, Hooo, it worked. I do have some damage to non-glued areas BUT it can easily be fixed with wood filler. It's a little extra work but YOU can remove Gorilla Glue. Needless to say, I found my Aileen's Tacky Glue post haste!!!!

Hope this helps someone....

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  • 7 months later...

Alright, here's an update on my Van Buren glue issues;

Not long after the last time I posted in this thread the house had to be packed away due to, well it was a hurricane scare (luckily Sandy didn't make it this far inland). And there the house stayed all winter, spring, and the summer up until 2 days ago. So, no it's not done yet. :(

I decided to haul the house out of the basement and straight outside, no more delays.

I've decided that the wood tiles were held in with at least two different types of glue. The back portion popped out pretty quick with the vinegar, but there were sections that I had to really pry out. Wouldn't be surprised if some of the glue was gorilla glue because it let the tiles go, but is still pretty stuck to the floor itself. There's some floor damage too, but it's fixable and it would've been worse without the vinegar. I've still got a few stubborn broken bits that I think need to be chiseled out, but this part is actually going better than I was expecting. Saved a handful of tiles in the process, and the doll house is probably cleaner than it's ever been.

The spray mount though-It won't go away.

I tried dish soap, vinegar, baby oil, and nail polish remover. It's all still there. It's yellowed and sticky and I think just painting over it would be a mistake.

Misplaced the bottle of Goo-Gone, so I'll have to try that later.

Also while I was sanding, I found a spot where a little girl must have repainted with green nail polish. So even though it wouldn't dissolve the spray mount, at least the nail polish remover was good for something. :)

Seriuosly though, if Goo-gone doesn't work, Does anyone have any other ideas on removing spray mount?

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Try WD40. It will remove any sticky,adhesive residue safely that other products will not. I've used it for years and it does work! Anything you've tried already was messy,right? Yes,it is a bit,too. But it's much easier to clean up than baby oil,so give it a try. Spray it on and go do something else for a few minutes,then wipe off with an old cloth.You may have to try a couple times,but it's definitely worth it! It's great to keep around the house if you don't already,so a purchase won't be a waste. Good luck! :)

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