Removing vinyl sheet from under door jambs?

[Itsallaroundyou]

I removed some old carpet and plan to install hardwood. The adjoining bathrooms have vinyl sheet flooring that seems to be installed underneath the drywall and doorjambs and protrudes into the next room. The carpet had been stapled on top of this. I want to keep the vinyl sheet in the bathroom and create a transition to the hardwood. Obviously I can cut the vinyl close to the drywall, but I was planning to cut the doorjams and run the hardwood under them. How do I get rid of the vinyl under the doorjambs so that I can run the hardwood under them? See the picture, and thanks in advance.

 

[DarisMulkin]

Is this a modular or trailer home? You cut the jams and extend the blade on your utility knife and reach under as far as you can, or even use an oscilating tool. I think either would reach far enough to not interfear with the wood. But the reason for asking if it is a modular or trailer is the staples threw up the red flag. That vinyl could just be laying there or be an interface product from yesteryear where it is jus t perimeter glued. I'm thinking laying loose and the wall are holding it in place.


Daris

 

[highup]

You have that right Daris. I notice how far the vinyl flooring over extends into the next room.

 

[Itsallaroundyou]

No its a regular home, 3 bd/3 ba.

Not sure whether the vinyl is glued under the bathrooms, but I haven't seen any glue yet. Just the staples and walls holding it down.

I guess I'll need to find a really long, skinny utility knife.

 

[zannej]

Is the vinyl thin enough that you could put the hardwood over it without an issue? You could still undercut the door jambs with an oscillating blade and tuck the hardwood under without having to peel up the vinyl if it's not too thick.

If you still want to remove the vinyl you can undercut the doorjamb/casing with the oscillating blade and then see if a sharp knife/exacto blade can fit under there to cut the vinyl and cut the vinyl along the wall with the knife.

 

[highup]

The reason I thought it was a modular type home is because of the vinyl being under the walls. I've never seen that done with traditional home building methods. it also looks to have three extremely wide Staples in front of the bathroom door. I've never seen that except in modular homes. Traditional builders don't have that kind of oddball stapler.
That said it doesn't really make any difference, but if those three things I see are wide staples, then that vinyl is most likely not glued down.
When you cut off that excess vinyl in the doorway , the vinyl might want to shrink and bow inwards. The best option would probably be to leave an inch or two extending into the room that will have the wood floor. Once the excess is removed you can glue or staple that 2" flap so that it can't shrink inwards towards the room. That flap would just be covered with your wood reducer trim. You would probably want to feather out from that flap of vinyl 6 in or a foot out into the room with a floor patch of some sort. It will just ramp up a little bit so there isn't an abrupt edge where that vinyl is.
Do what zan said about undercutting the doorway with an oscillating saw. Trim off the excess vinyl first, then undercut the thickness that you need so your wood floor will fit underneath it. If the extra vinyl that is still underneath the door jamb is interfering then the oscillating saw or utility knife blade might reach underneath there far enough to carve out a half inch of that vinyl so the wood floor will fit underneath it.

 

[Csason]

It’s not a “regular home” it’s either a modular or mobile they installed the walls on top of the floor period,
When you undercut your jambs and base like you’re supposed to for hardwood or plank you can address whatever else is under the jambs.

I use a real professional jamb saw a Crain 812 super saw. after I pull all staples near the jamb I drop the blade to the floor and cut and then raise the blade to the correct height for my material and cut again. When I do my clean out the vinyl or plastic or wood comes out . You only need to clear enough to put your material under the jamb .

 

[zannej]

It could be a regular house that had renovations done. They could have added a wall later on and decided to put the vinyl down first and then build the wall inside. You never know. But, the advice of undercutting and removing as much as needed still stands.

 

[highup]

Zan, see those super wide staples across the doorway? Now continue looking down that wall. Right next to the sheetrock there is a bunch more of them and they're all in line. That just isn't done in traditional home building and there's no reason to let that extra material flow out into the next room. That's always done in manufactured homes.
One thing I do notice or actually two.
The floor is plywood and that would tell that the place isn't a newer one. Also look how wide the door jamb is. It's a lot larger than a standard doorway so something's been changed. Also look at that base molding. That's not something found in modular homes nor is the trim around the door. I think all this shows the place is just simply been remodeled over the years.
Still it doesn't make any difference as to the original poster's question, but it's interesting.

 

[Csason]

Zan, see those super wide staples across the doorway? Now continue looking down that wall. Right next to the sheetrock there is a bunch more of them and they're all in line. That just isn't done in traditional home building and there's no reason to let that extra material flow out into the next room. That's always done in manufactured homes.
One thing I do notice or actually two.
The floor is plywood and that would tell that the place isn't a newer one. Also look how wide the door jamb is. It's a lot larger than a standard doorway so something's been changed. Also look at that base molding. That's not something found in modular homes nor is the trim around the door. I think all this shows the place is just simply been remodeled over the years.
Still it doesn't make any difference as to the original poster's question, but it's interesting.

Looks like they had to use a flex jamb over a marriage line between two halves . Anything there is a door right over the marriage line the jambs are off and odd width .

 

[zannej]

Good eye on that, Randy. I wouldn't have known what to look for. It is a puzzle. Hopefully the flooring installation will go smoothly for Itsallaroundyou.

 

[highup]

He must have figured it out.