Carpet pad was glued down to concrete in basement, is there something I can but to make it easier to scrape?

Question

Hi, We had to remove all the carpet in the basement of a house we just bought, the carpet pad is glued down to the concrete. My husband has been scraping the floor but it doesn't come up easy at all, it takes alot of muscle to do it.

Is there an easier way to help remove this padding? A solvent to make it easier to scrape or any other way to help with this process? I am positive that other people have been through this and have some answers.

Otherwise it will take forever to scrape this basement just to be able to bleach it and waterproof it.

So any suggestions to help make the pad come up easier would be great. Thanks alot for your time and answers.

Answer 1

You need a Long Handle Razor Scraper. Look under my source for an example. I use to lay carpet and this is what we all used.

Answer 2

DO NOT use a heat gun! Cushion is made from urethane that burns very quickly and hot. It also uses up all available oxygen in the process. Depending on how much you're scraping, a good SHARP stand up scraper will work the best. Change the blade as it dulls. Scrape at an angle sliding the blade across the pad, not directly into it, almost like you were trying to sand it off. HD sells a citrus based cleaner that you can soak the pad with and it will penetrate and break down the adhesive without a harmful residue being left over. It's in the maintenance area of the store. The machines used for scraping only remove the top and leave a film behind.

Answer 3

I would try a heat gun or hair dryer on it.  Use caution - don't start a fire.

Answer 4

Go an rent a motorized scraper from a tool rental store. The tool has a scraper that will take that stuff off in no time. This job is hard enough without killing yourself getting the carpet off. Hope this helps.