Removing Tile On Concrete

dougchips

I helped a Friend this afternoon removing a few tiles on a concrete floor. We used a 2' chisel and it took about 40 minutes to remove the tile/motor/grout from just 3 tiles. My arms are now dead and my body is sore........what do you folks use to remove tile from concrete?

2ND question: All three of the tiles were cracked and we were not surprised to see a crack in the concrete floor under the tiles. Is there any cure for a crack in the concrete or is it just one of those things in life?

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aWorkaHolic

1. A hammer drill with chisel bit

2. Nothing in the area of tile your replacing.

Mike Finley

Get your self a cheap air chisel ($29.00). WAAAAAY easier then manuevering around a hammer drill, and way better than putting all them hours on an expensive piece of equipment, plus you can get lower angle which really helps pop the tiles up. Then get yourself one of these nice demo bars they are selling now and scrape the big residue stuff of thinset off while standing and finish up with a smaller demo bar to scrape anything off remaining.

Cracks are all different, if it's a spreading crack that's easy, if it's a crack that one side is going up or down you're screwed.

dirt diggler

chipping hammer ... all of five minutes .... more time in setting up



I have yet to ever put a warranty against cracking on concrete. KInda as you put it - it's one of those things in life. If someone knows a way to 100% guarantee "no cracks" - I would listen but be skeptical. I make sure any customers/clients realize the liklihood of concrete cracking

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Thanks in advance!!!

Teetorbilt

I use an air hammer with a 1" bit when things get tough. I think that I know what you are up against, not thinset but something like hydraulic cement. I run into it a few times a year.

Buildings settle, no guarantees on slab cracks.

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Cole

Exactly what I was thinking, good luck!

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CaliDesigns

Hey Dirt, I guarantee my Concrete!!!--- Against fire and theft.

dougchips

I'm not sure what they used I have never seen such a strong bond before. We had to hold the chisel at a 70 degree or so angle to chip the stuff up. I'll stick to removing tile from plywood and durock.

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JumboJack

I have had great luck with this...http://www.us.hilti.com/holus/module...jsp?OID=-12053

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in texas with framing and cornish people will do it for 3.00 a foot. What do yall think about that? Just laber

dirt diggler

hey watch out though - ANYTHING can happen on "concrete day"

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Thanks in advance!!!

Kingfisher

My floor guy used something like jack post to remove about 200 sq ft of tile for glue down wood and it did a great job. Got everything up with out alot of dust. His had a longer shaft so there was not alot of back strain. I have a cheap air hammer from habour freigt ($5 with 5 bits) that I welded a 2" wide 3/16 flat stock to for chipping tar flashing of brick. It worked well but the soft steel needed a torch of the grinder every 10' at it needs a big compressor.

POOLMANinCT

ice

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tileguy51

Get a grout removal tool first, scrape all the grout out of the tiles you want to remove then start chipping with a chisel or air chisel. For the cracks there is a crack isolation kit you can pick up at any flooring outlet. Lay the tile over that, Its always worked for me.

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MattCoops

We just use a demo hammer with a 2" cold chisel.
Rips up a floor in minutes.

The demo hammer we have set me back $780.
You can rent one from HD though.

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Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more

woodmagman

dougchips We used a 2' chisel and it took about 40 minutes to remove the tile/motor/grout from just 3 tiles. My arms are now dead and my body is sore........


The 2 foot chisel may have been the problem! Try a smaller one or an electric chisel.... 2" would have been plenty

dougchips

2' so we could remove 2.18 10x10 tiles at a time........typo it was actually a 2" plastic putty knife.

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MattCoops

I ripped a floor apart with a rubber mallet and flathead screwdriver once

dont ask

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Matt with Cupan Custom Tile & Paint of Lowell, Massachusetts
Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
(978) 601-8774 | cupantile@gmail.com | view tile pictures and more

Bill_Vincent

Usually the tile's the easy part. It'll usually come up pretty quick with an electric chipping hammer and 3" chisel bit. The one I use is a Bosch 11316EVS (shown in the pic below). For scaling thinset or any other product off concrete, the scaling blade shown in the machine can't be beat. it'll scale thinset like there's no tomorrow (as you can see, it does great with vinyl, too!). It costs about 280.00, but it's worth every penny, and the blade on it can be replaced for about 35.00:

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TimNJ

Another case of this website being a valuable "tool" in itself. I am remodeling my kitchen for a "winter" indoor project around Feb. and I have 400+ sqft of ceramic to remove from my slab. I figured somebody on the Ceramic forum would have the best way and sure enough, here was this thread. Thanks guys

Floordude

Bill, where did you get that SDS scaling blade????? I have a sharpened paddle bit, but that there is the bee's knees!!! I need one!!!

I have the Bosch hammer. I just need that bit.

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