How to Remove Peel and Stick Floor Tile

In this video, demonstrate how to remove peel and stick floor tile. This is a frequently-asked question we get from prospective customers and those researching the subject.
The adhesive on self adhesive flooring (at least the brand we sell) is very strong. It's easily repositioned if you don't get it right the first time, but within minutes, the adhesive grabs the surface and the bond gets stronger over the course of days.
The tile I removed in this video was installed in April, 2011 (and you can see the video n our KZbin Channel of this installation). All the tiles from the original installation are still firmly in place.
One of the great benefits of peel and stick tile is the fact that if a tile becomes damaged due to the moving of furniture, or any reason, the tile can be removed and replaced. This is why we always recommend our customers to order enough to have some left over. At our low wholesale price, an extra box of tile is a very cheap "insurance policy" so you can keep your floor looking great over a great length of time...even a lifetime.
In this video, I removed a single tile from my garage floor with ease using a heat gun designed to remove paint. I purchased this for about $20 from a hardware store. The only other tool needed was a 3" putty knife/scraper. Almost zero pressure was needed once the heat was applied.
After the tile was about half way removed the remainder peeled of easily and the tile ultimately came up in one piece with no additional effort needed. I replaced the tile with a new one.
You can find other helpful floor tile preparation videos, installation videos, and tips on our channel.
You are obviously invited to subscribe to our channel. Click the Bell near the Subscribe button to be notified when we post new videos.
To learn more about our floor covering selection and 1000's of other hardware and Home Improvement products, visit www.mazerwhole...
Established since 1986

[@level7performance]

I just pulled up a complete room of this exact tile and discovered an amazing trick. If you heat the scraper with the heat gun for about 20-30 seconds it will glide under the tile like butter and greatly reduce the time and effort needed to remove it. You'll have to periodically reheat the scraper but I was able to get most tiles off in about 10 seconds this way which was a huge improvement compared to heating the tile alone. Give it a try!

[@angelagainer6434]

Thank goodness I found this! I need to fix my tile in my house! ha ha That we just sold here in FL , had someone come out to look at the floors today and they were going to charge me $500 to repair it! When I can just grab my heat gun from my craft room ! Thanks a bunch!

[@mazerwholesale]

Great! Thank you for letting me know the video helped you save money!

[@marekuzmanovski206]

Finally found someone who tells me how to get rid of these tiles! even my local DIY store didn't know. Im excited to try hit out! seems way faster than how I've been doing it so far.

[@angelawheller2053]

Thank you I never thought of that I used my hairdryer and it worked then I used goo off to remove any left over glue

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for letting me know you liked the video. I hope you gave the video a THUMBS UP!

[@esbrowneyes1]

I just ask if a hair dryer would do the trick and u already answered my question. I see ur comments a year old but hey thanks for the tip

[@dawnstewart5886]

GOOF OFF or Goo Gone? They are two different products.

[@firemanswifemomx4]

Thank you! I watched your video and only have about 602 more tiles to remove!

[@clivereckless2476]

So glad I found this, it works brilliantly saved me so much time and effort.

[@mazerwholesale]

Clive! So glad the video helped you out. Thank you for letting me know.

[@dianeruiz4301]

Thank you so much Andy for showing me how to take out tires I was having a hard time trying to do it without nothing and those 2 simple items Well it's great Thank you

[@williamstephens9945]

Just a little tip: If you find a stubborn tile heat the blade of the scraper up with the gun first!

[@moondog4103]

We have this exact tile in the basement of the house we bought 16 years ago. It is time to replace it with something new. We have the same problem where it is stuck firmly to the floor. I have tried using a big scraper and all it is doing is tearing my shoulder up. I will definitely get a heat gun and try this. Thank you for the idea!!

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for watching the video. Let me know how it works out for you.

[@johnvincent737]

@@mazerwholesale Works really nice. A whole lot easier than trying to pry them up with a scraper. Just make sure you wear knee pads...lol

[@mazerwholesale]

I never bothered with the knee pads and I recently helped an older guy with his installation and I discovered I'M AN OLDER GUY NOW!

[@johnvincent737]

@@mazerwholesale LMAO! Right there with you..lol

[@FRAST1]

Thank you how much! This is exactly what I need to know to remove the sticky tile on my basement floor.

[@MommyMeNaturalBeauties4ever]

Thanks for the info. It was the deciding factor on me using peel and stick tile.

[@mazerwholesale]

Hey, glad I coyld help. Thank you for letting me know.

[@rwilson7744]

An iron, with a Towel will also have the same effect.

[@mazerwholesale]

Yes, you're probably right.

[@iLuvTheMostHigh]

Thank You so much! I know exactly where the iron is at. But I can’t say for sure if I’ve packed the blow dryer or not. You’re one of the chosen ones. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

[@mazerwholesale]

@@iLuvTheMostHigh You're very kind. Thank you. Glad I was able to help.

[@blueyellowbitch4]

Lol! I read it wrong I thought I read a wet towel! Anyway just tried it and it came off like warm butter!!! I’ve been struggling with the first few tiles broke two scrappers and cut my finger! You just saved my day!!❤️

[@mazerwholesale]

@@blueyellowbitch4 GREAT!

[@mrscaldwell3147]

Awesome...we have a bedroom with this same tile...didn't think about heat...thank you!

[@truevirgo2098]

I appreciate your channel. I'm a new investor with 17 houses. I'm going to try you out for my tile, blinds and other needs. Hope to have a great experience with your company here in Birmingham, Al. We will be working with Disabled Veterans, low-income and homeless Vets as well as single moms and dads. I appreciate any advice or help. Thx Michael U.S. Army Veteran

[@mazerwholesale]

Michael, thank you for opening up a conversation. It will be a pleasure to serve you. Our phone # and email contact information is all over the website. look forward to hearing from you. I appreciate what you're doing for the Vets. By the way, I've discovered a hair dryer works for removing the tile. It's just a little slower.

[@mazerwholesale]

Michael, thank you for opening up a conversation. It will be a pleasure to serve you. Our phone # and email contact information is all over the website. look forward to hearing from you. I appreciate what you're doing for the Vets. By the way, I've discovered a hair dryer works for removing the tile. It's just a little slower.

[@saniquekonneh3396]

I use my hair dryer it came of easily thanks

[@pjj9491]

omg...thank you...my cheap tile is buckling and I cant pull up...looks like there is 5 or 6 layers in this house I bought....needed this vid

[@user-pi5xo4og9d]

Oh man

[@ExtraXP]

I loved how you ended the video! Shit was fresh as fuck my dude! Usually you hear , “ Don’t forget to like and subscribe and leave a comment down below.” But my guy said fuck the script, “leave a note” But on the real, this was super helpful! Moving out of my apartment and need to go on this mission. Wish me luck and thank you for the knowledge!

[@mazerwholesale]

Man, that was about the best response to any of my videos yet. Thank you! Glad this video helped and entertained you!

[@mazerwholesale]

Hahaha...I just watched the last minute again. Yeah...I couldn't find the right words there for a minute.

[@andrewmazer7400]

Cool! I'm glad the video helped you. Thanks for letting me know.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

I love peel and stick tiles. We used them 30 years ago when we built our house with the intention that we would get something better down the road. I think not. We replaced them about 12 or 13 years ago with new style of peel and stick. We just pulled one up and replaced it with the new pattern same as when we needed to replace damaged ones. Wonderful. Now we are replacing it again but need to pull them all up and clean up the lines made by accumulated dirt. What can we use to get rid of the sticky residue as we will need to be walking on it while cleaning up the dirt lines? Thanks for the video.

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for your question. We have much success with the peel & stick tiles we sell. I highly recommend Goo Gone for cleaning up the sticky residue. It's safe and it really works well on your hands as well as the tile. Comes in a trigger spray and that makes it really easy to use with very little waste.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

@@mazerwholesale Thanks for the quick response. I hope it will be safe to apply it to particle board as that is what the old tiles were stuck to. Thanks again.

[@mazerwholesale]

@@icecreamladydriver1606 Particleboard is not a recommended surface.

[@Jimmy_Cavallo]

💥oh man is that going to take a loooong time to take all of that up that way

[@MiMi-vb8lg]

Great video! Thank you.

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for letting me know you liked the video. I hope you gave the video a THUMBS UP!

[@ForbiddenConversations]

How do you clean the floor after you remove the tiles? I don't want it to be sticky!

[@deaconkameron2308]

i guess Im randomly asking but does any of you know of a way to get back into an Instagram account..? I was dumb lost the login password. I appreciate any tips you can give me

[@fordemery5209]

@Deacon Kameron instablaster ;)

[@RodEvens]

Thanks for sharing, really enjoyed it.

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for watching and for your comment. I hope my advice comes in handy for you.

[@such_a_delight9748]

That was very helpful. The cinyl tiles in the hallway of the duplex I'm renting is cracked. I thought I'd help (or show off my home repair skills for) my nice landlord. However, I was thinking of using the heat gun otherwise known as my blow dryer.

[@IsaMGFaria]

I am so happy I finally found a Video like this! I have floor adhesive tille and I want to remove it..and put another one. I would like to renew my kitchen worktop , including around the sink, using self adhesive Vinyl (of course is a different tha the florr adhesive tille. It comes in a 2 meters roll. My qurestion is....could I remove that with this heat gun? (just in case I move from this property I currently live). Thank you so much. Your information will be much appreciated!

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for your question. If it's self adhesive vinyl, I believe the heat gun will certainly work. I've even used a hair dryer (also in one of my recent videos). The hair dryer is mush slower so If you're doing a whole floor, spend the $20 and get the real paint stripper gun.

[@TheTayedrums]

LMAO LMAO..DUDE YOU ARE GREAT YOU JUST SAVED MY HANDS A LOT OF BLISTERS...GREAT VIDEO MAN..FROM A SIMPLE PERSPECTIVE! THANK YOU AAAAAAA LOT! PEACE AND BLESSINGS TO YOU!

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for letting me know the video helped you! So glad to know this.

[@TheTayedrums]

@@mazerwholesale Are you kidding...man i was using a chisel and hammer for 1 hour i got blisters and no where fast (lol)..i saw your video--so cool-so relaxed-so easy going and straight forward...and i was like wow..2 hours later heat gun,putty knife and it was all up in 30 minutes!! Wheww! Thank you...Thank you.

[@user-ix6xl3ym2f]

Ok… I’m a bit hard headed but I finally got a few tiles up with hammer and pry bar. Chunks at a time😡 30 minutes later I discover😳 a second layer of linoleum tiles that were installed 60 years before this layer😡. So… I’m gettin a heat gun tomorrow got a 4in scraper. I’ll let ya know. Before I forget, what you suggest for the sticky residue left over? I’ll be installing an inter-locking wood grain floor. Any thing I’m missing? That old tile offsets an already level floor😡

[@paganpoetprophet6441]

Good video ,down to earth ,it helped me remove mine

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for letting me know the video helped you!

[@laurag.7780]

Thank you. I am replacing the whole basement.

[@elsplace896]

thank you so much because I have bad hips and leaning over to use a knife to get that old stick tile off was killing me so I did about a third of the kitchen tiles, and then I'll get a hair dryer for the rest.

[@akuaasamoah8375]

How do you remove the remaining adhesive from the floor after removing the tile? The same method used to remove these from backsplash and walls?

[@dougs7367]

I know this is late answer to your question, but for future reference and others reading there is a product that comes in a decent size spray bottle called "Krud Kutter" that works great on dissolving flooring adhesives and other gunk. You can get it at Lowes and probably Home Depot or Walmart.

[@jorlove2923]

Of use a bit oil. Oil removes glue.

[@Pianofishdave]

Thanks for this! Is there a cleaner you suggest to clean the floor once all the tiles are removed? My peel and stick tiles were installed on top of old vinyl flooring.

[@mazerwholesale]

I've recently discovered GOO-GONE. You can find it at most hardware stores.

[@lawrenceharrod]

Thanks Brother. 💯

[@bree5609]

This was so insightful! Thank you! I have some peel and stick wood like tile and would like to take it off. Someone said that I could put wood over it, or is it best to take the tile off and start fresh?

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for your comment. I definitely think it's better to remove the tile before laying a new floor.

[@lucasbiggs9079]

Thank you so much this helped us a lot

[@marturquesa77]

God bless you!

[@andrewmazer7400]

I guess that means you took my advice and everything worked out for you...Thank you for the feedback. God bless YOU too!

[@ucheumeh3415]

Thanks alot, this video was really helpful

[@mazerwholesale]

I'm glad it helped. Thank you for watching and also for your comment. Good luck!

[@russwilliams5337]

… or use a wallpaper steam for similar results and bigger heat coverage

[@shrihas62]

I have small gap between tiles, Can I just remove and stick same tile after removing gap? Or I need buy new tiles?

[@dorthyfords1240]

How do I clean the stick residue? And can I instal this over wooden floors.

[@Luvisbeautiful2]

Is this renter friendly? How would I remove any glue from the actual floor if I decide to leave the apartment and must return everything to how it previously was?

[@mazerwholesale]

When I removed the tile, there was very little residue. Most of it stays on the tile. I image a slight bit may remain on the floor and if it does, it COULD be difficult to get it off. We recommed Goof Off for removing it.

[@rvenneman]

When I do it the tile’s backing stays of the floor. How do I get this ok?

[@ralandacarroll706]

How do you remove the left over glue on the sticky floor?

[@steve-nr3gn]

Good advice, but a hot iron with steam works faster. Leave it on the tile or vinyl strip for about 15 seconds. Comes right up.

[@43702669]

steve thx for the advice! I’m gonna try the hot iron!

[@jeanniebabcock4450]

How do you get the sticky adhesive off the floor?

[@steve-nr3gn]

@@jeanniebabcock4450 you can use a putty knife or alcohol. It is not a problem if you get it up right away.

[@lorribeck3939]

Does it ruin the iron?

[@steve-nr3gn]

@@lorribeck3939 no

[@praisehimnetworktwashingto254]

Awesomesauce thankyou!!!!!!

[@mazerwholesale]

I'm glad the video helped you. Thank you for your comment.

[@praisehimnetworktwashingto254]

@@mazerwholesale it truly did help! I thought I ruined my kitchen wall paint job by using floor tile as backsplash... after putting a few tiles on wall the next day I didn’t like and couldn’t get off wall .. i put additional craft glue on them lol But using blow dryer and scraper they came off like butter 😄 Thanks again

[@detaimed_solo160]

I want to completely remove all sticky tiles how do I remove sticky off the floor

[@gemloverallday6389]

That's how I figure it would come off easier with a heat gun. I see so many people using hammers and scrapers. I would think that would damage the floor.

[@heidisuzzanah]

Thanks for the video, if I placed these over a (non working) tile fireplace, how would I get the remaining gooey residue off the tile?

[@Theedebtcollector]

heidisuzzanah if you are still having this problem you can soak it with a tablespoon of acetone, hot water and 1/3 a cup of a degreaser dish soap and scrub clean with a toilet bowl cleaner.

[@queenhead9820]

How to get up the sticky glue

[@andrewmazer4748]

Sorry for the delayed response. The glue doesn't usually remain on the floor. If it does, a product called Goo-Gone works well.

[@elizabethhallowell5115]

Andrew- are Armstrong Self Stick the best brand ?

[@dustindevinowen]

What is the best way to remove the sticky residue on the concrete

[@micheleprescott5530]

Use a iron...wet a washcloth, put the cloth on the tile, iron the tile, and pull up with putty knife. Use printer paper or paper towels to handle the tile so don't get glue on your hands.

[@esbrowneyes1]

Do u think a hair dryer would do the trick ? I have 8x8 area I need to get up sticky squares.

[@dhunt1393]

I need to replace about 6-8 vinyl squares. Unfortunately, I don't have that many leftover from the original installation. Is it possible to move vinyl squares from a low traffic area (under refrigerator or stove) and move it to the areas that are showing wear.

[@mazerwholesale]

I can only say, it's probably worth a try. Seems like a practical thing to do, but you should make sure you're fridge isn't standing on bare wood. Put something down there that will block water from seeping into your subfloor.

[@kinuwin1002]

Thank you for your advice but you have a concreat under the tiles. Unfortunately we have plastic floor, do you know how to remove those sticky glues? Any advice?

[@bettycorreia1145]

Do i have to remove the tacky glue before i put down a new tile

[@andrewmazer7400]

I suggest you test it. Lay a tile or 2 and see how it sticks. Give it a full day or 2 . Sure better than doing all the work of removing the residue if you don't have to.

[@aorta222]

If I'm replacing all the tiles, should I put the new one down once I take the old ones off or remove all the tiles then replace. The floor is so tacky !

[@jaynemortenson8714]

Can I lay a new peel and stick vinyl tile floor over an old one (6 ft. x 10 ft.) OR do I have to remove all the old peel and stick tile? If I have to remove all the old tile, what treatment will be required for the subfloor before peeling and sticking the new tile? Thank you.

[@mazerwholesale]

Funny you ask! I just made a series of new videos which demonstrate installing a new peel & stick tile over top of my existing peel and stick tile in my garage. Here's a link which should take you to the home page of our You Tube channel . The 4 newest videos are in a sequence. kzbin.info/door/hRwLt0nHlz3KWb-L67a5jQ If this link doesn't work, just search for mazerwholesale on youtube. Thanks. Good luck and feel free to ask any more questions. LIKE the videos (if you do like them) and Subscribe to the channel too!

[@shariepeek]

How can I lift up an actually peel and stick tile not laminate or anything this is actual like porcelain tile or ceramic breakable tile that got laid crooked. I plan to reuse so what do u recommend?

[@mazerwholesale]

Sorry, but I don't understand your question.

[@alannahumphrey6293]

Are peel and stick tiles safe for a renter who has vinyl flooring under the new tiles? Will it damage the vinyl??

[@msa110]

Can you put click lock vinyl over Peel and stic

[@vicievee1095]

I want to put some peel and stick tile on my bathroom wall. I want to use it on the walls next to the vanity. 1) If it is okay for me to do so, how do I prepare the wall to hold the tiles? 2) If it is okay for me to do this, would it be able to remove the tiles, in the future without damaging the wall? 3) Would you recommend that I use another method to cover the wall? I appreciate any advice that you would give me regarding this project. Thank you for considering my questions.

[@mazerwholesale]

This tile does not stick to the wall. You would need to add a different type of adhesive. Doing to will definitely require damaging the wall if you ever need to remove it. I do NOT recommend it.

[@vicievee1095]

@@mazerwholesale, thank you for your quick reply. I appreciate your recommendation. I will definitely not put the tile on my wall. Thank you.

[@Tross7503]

Thanks Bro

[@robbiexxxxxx]

how do you remove the glue left over after the tile is removed.

[@nasrineable]

How get rid of the glue. And one more question. If I have good tiling underneath will it ruin if I removed the top vinyl ?

[@mazerwholesale]

The best glue remover is Goof Off in my opinion. Acetone works good and it's cheaper.

[@geriboyd8332]

So to get a big section of the adhesive off a wooden tongue and groove what would you suggest after removal of tile please?

[@mazerwholesale]

I'm afraid I can't answer from experience. If it's sticky, try acetone or Goof Off. If it's hard, probably use a sander.

[@davedruid7427]

I would wear Protective Gloves while using the Heat Gun to protect from Burning Your Hands.

[@mokush4me412]

Pansy

[@taniahakki8045]

To clarify- once the tiles are removed, what's underneath is not damaged in any way?

[@mazerwholesale]

You surely don't need to apply a whole lot of heat. The heat from a hair dryer will do the trick. A hair dryer much slower than a paint stripper gun. You must be much more careful with a heat stripper.

[@sarahweiss2183]

I started removing the old floor tile but the wood flooring underneath was still sticky from the glue on the floor tile do I just need to apply more heat or is there something else I have to do

[@mazerwholesale]

If you need to remove the glue, you're going to have to use a chemical. I think acetone may be the best for this job.

[@afewfigs]

How can I get the adhesive up? I put stick on tile on top of glued down rolled vinyl. I want to safe the rolled vinyl floor.

[@andrewmazer7400]

Try Goof Off. It's the best.

[@zurieymasick1802]

Hello. I was wondering can you epoxy or polyurethane over the tiles so they can stay longer and have a shiny top coat?

[@mazerwholesale]

Thank you for your question. The manufacturer does not recommend it. We are soon going to experiment with some of the products on the market because many people have asked us the same question.

[@jeannettegrondin7190]

What can one use to make their tiles shine?

[@mariaruiz268]

How and than you take off the glue out of the floor that stay

[@mazerwholesale]

Goo-Gone is an excellent product. Try it. Goof Off is another.

[@medusa973]

But how do you remove the sticky residue??! I am having so much trouble

[@mazerwholesale]

There's a product called Goof Off which melts the glue instantly. It's generally used for small areas. proceed with caution. This is strong stuff.

[@tamicablanding]

Is there a special solution to get rid of the tackiness

[@mazerwholesale]

Acetone works well. Goof Off is excellent.

[@ladytorres8323]

👍

[@RelaxedPuppy]

How do you remove the tackiness from the concrete surface? I'd like to replace the linoleum tile with ceramic tile and need a clean surface. Thanks!

[@mazerwholesale]

Acetone does a good job. Goof Off is even better but it's expensive. Fumes are rough either way so protect yourself!

[@valattard5011]

Been torturing new homeowners for 20 years. lol These tiles should be illegal. Thanks for showing me an easy way to remove them. 👍🏻

[@Clovergirl7934]

Ok, but now how do you remove the adhesive?

[@mazerwholesale]

I have found that very little adhesive residue remains on the subfloor. That may not always be the case, so a recommend Goo-Gone. I used to recommend Goof-Off but it's too noxious and flammable. Goo-Gone is safe and works great.

[@Clovergirl7934]

@@mazerwholesale Thanks so much!

[@mazerwholesale]

@@Clovergirl7934 Please let me know how it works out for you.

[@peppermint2111]

Simple solution 😁

[@jeannettegrondin7190]

How long should tile last ?

[@jasneskis]

Can I use hair dryer?

[@smokingisbadmtherfcker2537]

That's fine for like one or two, if you're just trying to repair a couple. But if you're trying to redo the whole floor you're going to be down there for a month. On your knees with a heat gun running up your electric bill

[@jeannettegrondin7190]

What can one do to clean white tile?

[@43702669]

Jeannette Grondin I used oxi clean; the one for laundry and it whitened my white tiles!

[@viazel2796]

Thank you! Could someone use a hair dryer?

[@mazerwholesale]

That's a good question. I didn't try it. I think I will! I'm pretty confident it will work but will take a LOT more time. The heat gun I used gets very hot.

[@wiseworld6015]

3...2..1. Hi I’m Andrew MAZZER

[@mazerwholesale]

More like 5...4...3...2...1 !!!

[@annm.1561]

I found this video after the struggle of removing lol

[@andrewmazer7400]

Awww, you did it the hard way? Too bad. Thank you for your comment anyway.

[@annm.1561]

@@andrewmazer7400 it will come in handy for the next time for sure. thx!

[@georgec9765]

why don't you wear heat resistant gloves, don't you worry the air would ignite your arm hair?

[@liveitlikeitloveall2746]

You should of made the video end at 5:33 instead of 5:20:.

[@hodana7546]

time consuming