How to lift tiles from a concrete floor?

radioactiveman

Hi
Any ideas how to remove ceramic tiles that are put directly onto a concrete floor?

Would one of these work?:
http://www.hss.com/g/2159/Floor_Tile_Removal_Kit.html

The tiles are completely welded to the concrete. I've tried using a chisel but it just splinters. It might be possible but it would takes days to do all of it.

Tiles.jpg

thanks!

copacetic

Something like that will do it quickest, or an sds drill with wide chisel fitting if you know someone who has one.

Paddy Bateman

Kango hammer and long chisels

radioactiveman

brilliant didn't think of that
Can get an SDS drill, should be able to get the chisel bits.
You can get the tiles up bit by bit but it's very slow work..

copacetic

Something like this cheap bit with a good powerful drill will do it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toolzone-80mm-Plus-Removing-Chisel/dp/B000V9IXE0

radioactiveman

Hi - update:

rented a kango drill today with a tile bit and got them off.

But if was a very difficult job, took about 4 hours for a 4m x 4m area. The tiles wouldn't come off and a lot of them didn't break up at all, all you'd get off them was a bit of dust... Actual tile bit didn't work, had to use the normal bit.

Anyway got there in the end - thanks

Joey the lips

radioactiveman wrote: »

Hi - update:

rented a kango drill today with a tile bit and got them off.

But if was a very difficult job, took about 4 hours for a 4m x 4m area. The tiles wouldn't come off and a lot of them didn't break up at all, all you'd get off them was a bit of dust... Actual tile bit didn't work, had to use the normal bit.

Anyway got there in the end - thanks

What????? I hope you wore ear protection..:)

radioactiveman

Sorry what? Can't hear you

looksee

Was the floor smooth enough to re-tile on afterwards?

radioactiveman

Joey the lips wrote: »

What????? I hope you wore ear protection..:)

Yes had ear plugs and proper eye protection.
Don't know if it's smooth to tile on directly but the tiler won't have to use as much levelling compound to get it all level (part of the floor just had carpet so that's ok)

CBYR1983

Hammer and utility bar. Then use a levelling compound on floor before retiling. That was least worst option I had, so I did it.

One lad wanted to use a kango but I'm no sadist, couldn't bring my self to try it. If it was someone else's house I might have done, but not my own.

RubyGirl

Putting off doing the same job, was there much dust.

radioactiveman

RubyGirl wrote: »

Putting off doing the same job, was there much dust.

It is unreal. Because they were ceramic tiles, when we drilled them off sometimes they came off all in one piece if the tiler didn't use too much adhesive.
But in other places they were completely combined with the adhesive and the concrete floor and would only turn to dust when you drill them (slowly). Best thing to do is to cover everything with a cloth beforehand. Even with that the dust is terrible for me cos I have asthma... (even wore mask while doing it).

Joey the lips

RubyGirl wrote: »

Putting off doing the same job, was there much dust.

Yes...and not much can be done about it, Sometimes you can follow the person with the kango with a spray bottle of water and spray it around the hammer but tbh.... it looks mental.

CBYR1983

I must have been lucky as most came up in one piece. Went at them from the thresholds (where wood had been removed from other rooms, then from the corners. Most adhesive was left on the floor. Hence the compound to fill. We had to raise the level in hall as we were running it through.

Compound cost about €100 for the 35 sq m we did - 6 bottles and 6 bags that were then mixed and spread.

radioactiveman

thanks - as it happens we're doing about 30 square meters, reckon it will cost the same for levelling compound..