Q. We’d like to replace an old vinyl floor with tile. The flooring currently has a vinyl base strip that is firmly attached to the wall. Is there an easy way to remove this without tearing up the drywall behind the base?
A. To minimize the repair work on the drywall surface, use a heat gun over the base strip to warm the adhesive and loosen its grip on the vinyl. In a pinch, you could potentially use a hair dryer to similar effect. As the adhesive loosens, pull away the base strip. Take the extra time to reheat the exposed adhesive and scrape it away from the face of the drywall with a putty knife. This should leave a fairly smooth surface to easily reinstall new base trim once the flooring has been installed.
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