Removing Tar Paper From Concrete Floor

Black tar was a popular option for flooring adhesive in homes built prior to the 1970s.

Removing tar paper from concrete floor.

Common in homes built in the 20th century black mastic was used as an adhesive for ceramic tile linoleum and other flooring materials. Often placed under linoleum or other resilient flooring products it was designed to act as a moisture barrier over existing wood or cement floors. Once all the residue has been removed go over the floor several more times with successively finer grits of sandpaper 80 grit 100 grit and 120 grit to further smooth the floors and. Before you begin make sure you read the label directions and wear protective gear including.

This is the most efficient and inexpensive way that i ve found. A word of advice. Tar is probably the last substance you d expect to come up easily from any surface let alone concrete but you re about to be pleasantly surprised. After removing as much of the tar paper or felt as you can with a scraper sand the rest off using a drum type floor sander available at tool rental stores starting with coarse 40 grit sandpaper.

The materials chosen for the floors determine the type of adhesive necessary. It s possible to clean tar off a concrete floor but it can require substantial physical effort and possibly harsh chemical solutions. Tar paper and black mastic is no match for a wallpaper steamer and some wood soap. You can achieve professional results with relative ease by following this advice for cleaning virtually any mess from concrete.

Many homeowners find that they have beautiful wood floors hidden beneath this tar paper. Removing the black tar is a time consuming process but can be done properly with a strong solvent and the right. It s economical looks interesting and is quite durable even with heavy use and traffic. Concrete flooring has many fans for a number of reasons.

This is what my completed project looks like. When you remove that floor covering to make way for new flooring you may encounter the mastic and wonder whether it is safe to remove the main concern surrounding this question is that black mastic often contains asbestos. However concrete is also quite porous which makes it difficult to remove sticky stains such as tar. Removing the tar paper to reveal the wood can be a difficult and time consuming task.