Remove parquet flooring adhesive by using a heat gun

subfloor

I have to remove a parquet floor with possible bitumen adhesive and am unsure how thick the adhesive was applied. I need to remove the flooring to prep for laying ceramic tiling.

  1. Could a heat gun be of use to remove the adhesive rather than costly solvents?
  2. Is this an effective method for preparing the floor for new tile?
  3. If not what course of action would you recommend?

Best Answer

I'd advise against using heat. Last week I removed a parquet floor from my living room that had been stuck down with bitumen. After trial and error I found the best technique was to use a hammer and chisel to prise the tiles up, leaving just the bitumen coating on the floorboards. I then paid a guy to sand up the bitumen with a large industrial sander using very rough sanding paper. It took him about half a day and the floorboards now look great. (Make sure you use very rough paper and a powerful machine - if the paper isn't rough enough, the bitumen just gums it up.)

I did try a heat approach but this just melted the bitumen, making it sticky and even harder to remove. I also tried to use solvents, which had the same effect.