Removing Ceramic Floor Tiles
If you want to install a new floor material but the one you have now is not ceramic tile, you will need to remove the ceramic tile first. Some flooring materials can be installed directly over ceramic tile, however doing so may be impracticable due to the increased floor thickness that would follow. Sheet vinyl flooring may often be put over existing ceramic tile without the need for demolition. Hardwood, laminate, or new ceramic tile floors, however, usually need the removal of the old ceramic tile before installation.
Taking up ceramic or stone floor tiles is a simple process but requires a lot of physical exertion. In reality, it might be a time-consuming task, especially if working with obsolete equipment. The removal procedure is quite labour intensive, but you can save a lot of money by doing it yourself.
Thin-set tiling as compared to traditional tiling methods that use mortar
Ceramic tiles were traditionally set onto a bed of thick mortar, which was then reinforced with steel lathe. As a general rule, tar paper was used to protect the underlying floor, and then a mortar bed was laid on top of it. Removing such a floor might be a laborious and time-consuming process, involving hours of breaking up the mortar base and cutting away the metal lathe to free the tile and mortar slabs from the tar paper underlayment. Breaking down the metal lathe into more manageable pieces requires a lot of hammering, prying, and cutting. A more difficult chore awaits you if the tile was installed on a concrete slab: removing it.So how to remove them?
Getting Rid of the Ceramic Floor Tiles
As an example, we’ll remove ceramic tiles from a floor that was laid over a plywood substrate using just the most basic hand tools. Cement board may be used as underlayment without significantly altering the process. Before attempting to remove ceramic tiles, it is advised that they be broken into tiny pieces using a hammer or sledge hammer. We’re using hand tools for this, but there are other power tools that might speed things up. A hammer drill with chisel attachment or a roto-hammer with spade bit may make rapid work of this job. In addition, if the tile is going to be set on top of a mortar base or a concrete slab, it is highly recommended to use one of these tools. Power equipment like hammer drills and roto-hammers are available for rent at hardware and tool rental outlets. However, a plywood or cement board underlayment may suffer significant damage if a hammer drill is used, so you should be ready to do subfloor repair if you choose that route.
Last Words
If you’re planning on tearing out any tiles, you should know that it might create a lot of dust. To prevent dust from spreading needlessly, sealing off the work area with plastic sheeting is a must. You’ll be protecting your ventilation system at the same time.
Always use protective gear, such as a dust mask, goggles, earplugs, and leather work gloves, while tearing out tiles. Getting shards of tile or mortar in your eyes from hammering and chiselling might cause serious injury. Wearing long sleeves is recommended while carrying out this demolition since broken tile fragments may be fairly sharp.When used to large floor areas, removing ceramic tile may generate a lot of waste. Renting a roll-off dumpster may help you deal with the mess that the garbage creates.
