Is there any chance that installation would still be under warranty and you could call the initial installers to do some remedial work? Sorry, I cannot advise on chemicals that might help, but perhaps someone else will comment who is knowledgeable.

Is there underlayment or the glue was applied directly to the subfloor?

How big is the area...any pictures?

Maybe it will be easier and faster to take up the subfloor and replace plywood, we did that on one job and it was a breeze.

@GN Builders L.L.C There was no underlayment, glue was applied directly to subfloor.

it’s around a 400 sq ft area of kitchen and dining nook.

Unfortunately, I don’t think taking up the subfloor is going to be an option because my husband isn’t on board with that. He said it was pretty expensive subfloor and he installed that part himself. Ironically, we got the highest grade smooth subfloor we could get so that the vinyl plank would look good. So it was pretty upsetting the job the installer did and how lumpy the glue ended up.

I had thought about trying to flip as many parts of the subfloor as we could and use the other side. But my husband said there are so many staples in it, it will be unuseable once taken up.

The new floor will be floating rigid vinyl plank with an attached pad. I had thought about laying it directly over the current kitchen floor if we could bring the other sub flooring up to the same height (carpet being removed in other rooms and they will need new subfloor). But, I’m worried the glue or the spaces in between the old vinyl plank could telegraph through over time. The installer left gaps between some of the planks and they also have beveled edges. Even though the new floor is rigid, I worry about telegraphing over time since we are dealing with that problem now.

Plus, since they used pressure sensitive glue, I can pull the current planks right up with no residue. So I may be able to use them elsewhere in the future or give them to someone else. Instead of letting them go to waste under the new floor.

I suppose I will try to test the glue remover on a small area and see how easily it comes up from the subfloor

@Aglitter unfortunately, they were not easy to deal with when this all happened in the first place. We ended up just cutting our losses and dealing with the floor for as long as we could. We’d prefer to just do all the work ourselves this time.

If it won’t come off easily with dry ice and a floor scraper, give it up. Grinding glue just gums up everything. The only way to get a good reliable subfloor for the new product is to replace it. Chemicals only make it gummier and worse. And it seeps into the ply, creating problems with any future bond.

@User the new floor will be floating. So I won’t have to worry about adhesion of new floor at least.

You WILL have to worry about the chemical reaction between the remover and the plastic. Which can cause it to become unstable and even partially dissolve.

@User the particular remover I was going to try has a “prep wash”cleaner. I assumed that was some sort of a neutralizer as well. Do you think it would still be an issue even after using the wash and letting it dry throughly, just due to the porosity of the wood and possible residual chemicals?

I wouldn't apply any chemicals to the glue, because as other people mentioned, it will just gum it up and might cause problems with the new floor down the road.

I once had a similar problem in my kitchen, and I had somewhat good luck with renting an edger like this one, with 36 grit paper. The key with this machine is to move it around constantly or it will eat through the entire plywood subfloor in no time. If you go that route, get plenty of spare disks, because it will gum up pretty fast. And practice first on a piece of scrap plywood. Your only other option unfortunately is to replace the whole subfloor. Good luck!

Try live wire oak's suggestion. Dry ice may make it so brittle that it will pop right off. Be careful and wear heavy gloves. Ventilate the area; dry ice emits CO2.

G&S for the win! I'd add the suggestion to look into renting a buffer and a Diamabrush buffer plate. If your labor is worth anything at all, this would probably be the most economical option. Spread sand on the subfloor, buff with the Diamabrush and the old adhesive should come up and mix with the sand so it can be swept up and taken away. At the very least it would take off the high spots and allow you to install the new floor over the top.

It depends on the glue and the subfloor. I spent several hours removing glue from ten square feet on concrete. Absolute nightmare. Plan on testing an area please.

Asking to see what worked eventually? Sand? Dry ice? I’m confronting a similar problem in an upcoming project. Shaw 5000 adhesive with Shaw carpet tiles on plywood subfloor.