A: Removing vinyl flooring can be a tough project and there are many considerations that usually make it a project best left to professionals.

First of all, vinyl and linoleum flooring materials and the mastic (glue) used to attach them to the floor frequently contain asbestos. While harmless in solid form, such as flooring, asbestos is a health hazard when released into the air. Linoleum and vinyl sheet flooring often have a backing of almost pure asbestos sheeting and improper removal will almost certainly release large amounts of dangerous fibers into the air.

So the first step would be to contact an environmental testing laboratory or consultant and ask about getting your flooring tested. Although you can have a consultant come to your home, most can advise you how to take a sample safely into them for testing for a nominal fee.

If the floor or mastic contain asbestos, they will be able to refer you to an asbestos abatement contractor who may use heat and or solvents to remove the flooring and mastic. OSHA specifies that the contractor works slowly, uses water to reduce dust and specialized HEPA vacuums to clean the area.

However, if the asbestos test comes back negative, you still may choose to hire a professional flooring contractor to remove the flooring. First, you need a special tool designed specifically to scrape up the layer of flooring material by hand. This is slow, hard work. Next, you will need a special solvent to completely dissolve all of the adhesive before you can apply your faux finish to the concrete, as well as, a respirator or face mask while you are working.

Both the tool and the solvent are available for purchase from a flooring supply store. However, once you consider the cost of purchasing all these materials and the time it will take to perform these two steps, hiring a flooring contractor already equipped with all the right tools, knowledge and experience to get the job done as efficiently as possible will make the most sense for even the handiest of homeowners. Then if you want to put a "faux" finish on the concrete yourself, I think you'll have a lot more fun with that part of the project and be happier with the final results.

Visit Home Advisor, enter a service request (it's free) and be matched with the ideal service professional in your area to find the proper environmental services necessary to safeguard your family's health. Find a flooring contractor to remove that old vinyl and even someone to give your concrete a new look in case you decide not to tackle that yourself.

Good luck with your project!

by Kathy Maynard, reprinted courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com