Should we remove or hammer down the staples in the existing vinyl flooring on our landing, and should we add drops of glue or a sealer to the areas where staples were removed/hammered down, and do you have any recommendations on glue and sealer?
Asked by Onata Cardoso 
7 months ago
Last Updated: June 1, 2024
Hey, so we decided to take out the carpet on our landing and found there’s vinyl underneath. We want to keep the vinyl for now until spring, but there are some staples sticking out. Should we pull them out or just hammer them down?
And after that, do you think we should just put some glue in the spots where we removed or hammered down the staples, and maybe add a sealer too? Any suggestions on what kind of glue and sealer to use would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a bunch!
Might as well go ahead and remove them now, because you’ll have to remove them later and it will be easier if they’re sticking up a bit. To fix the holes left by the staples, you could try pushing the edges of the hole down with something round like the end of a screwdriver handle, then clean the vinyl and maybe use a product like mop and glow to seal the floor. It might not look perfect, but it should be good enough until spring when you plan to replace it all anyway.
Thanks a lot, !
Hey, is there a mop and glow product that’s waterproof or almost waterproof, or is it simply a cleaner? We have dogs that walk through that area to go outside. Would a professional floor sealer be a better option? I’m not too familiar with this particular product, it seems more like an everyday type of product.
It’s a water-based wax made with acrylic. It’s soft and not very durable. It also doesn’t seal small holes. Grab some Gorilla Super Glue and add a tiny drop to each hole. This will seal them. After that, you can use a mop and wax to give the floor a shine. Just remember to reapply every now and then.
‘s idea of using Gorilla Super Glue to seal the holes seems more effective. While my mom used to trust mop and glow for durability, Robbie’s suggestion may be a better choice. Maybe filling the holes with hard wax or caulk would work too. It’s important to find a temporary fix that won’t complicate things when removing the vinyl flooring. If it’s vinyl tile, sealing the holes with super glue or a two-part epoxy after filling them might be a good solution. Use a slow-setting epoxy and a squeegee to level the holes with the floor. Once it’s set, apply mop and glow. I initially thought you had linoleum flooring.
Hey , you might have a better solution for sealing the holes. I was considering linoleum on the floor, but you’re suggesting vinyl tiles, which would work better for filling the holes with Gorilla Super Glue or a two-part epoxy.
All you need is a small amount of super glue to fix any type of flooring. The mop and wax contain mostly water and could seep into the holes, causing them to become visible and moldy.
The flooring is actually linoleum. What we’re looking for is a product that we can simply pour and spread. We’ve discovered cracks in certain areas, so it’s not just the staple holes that concern me. At this stage, we are considering buying a more affordable roll of vinyl/linoleum and placing it on top of the existing one for now, then upgrading to LVP or a roll product in the spring. Would that be effective?
If you’re putting in that much effort, why not tackle the floors now and get it over with? Linoleum is a different beast, and if it’s already failing, the best thing to do is rip it up. If you attempt to lay new linoleum over the damaged old flooring, the old linoleum will damage the new.