Tile adhesive/grout removal

MorningStar

Hi

I took the tiles down in our kitchen. AS the former owner was DIY buff he stuck up the tiles with a ton of adhesive/grout. The surface of the wall is now pretty uneven, thick and and has tons of the adhesive on the wall. I tried chipping it off but it's a mix of hard and powdery so doesn't come off easily. Is there any other easier way to get it off or can I just tile on top?

rooferPete

Hi,

How about a light coat of bonding or skim coat on the surface after you treat it with poly bond.

It might be the fastest way and you can feather it off at the top if need be.

.

MorningStar

There really is tons of the stuff on the wal and makes it pretty uneven. I was hoping to get it off somebody suggested heating and cooling will cause it to crack and become brittle.

kadman

I have found that a 1 1/2 " wide SHARP wood chisel is more useful than a scraper or cold chisel , in a situation like this. So it is worth trying, if Rooferpete's suggestion is not an option for you at this time, although bonding it out is probably quicker

Use an old chisel, but sharp, at a low angle against the wall.

No doubt I have invited gasps of horror from fellow wood workers, but please spare me the lectures. I can grind and sharpen any chisel that you think will be ruined by such use, and add a Rookad guarantee, that the same chisel will shave hairs from the back of your arm, effortlessly.
:eek:

kadman

yop

As said lad you either use a paint scrapper or chisel, the latter been the better but ffs watch your fingers and don't put it through the plasterboard.

Anothe option but cronic dusty and requires good ventilation, a very good mask and old clothes is to get a belt sander and sand down the area

MorningStar

Thanks all,

It sounds like the only solution is brute force. The problem is it's both hard and chalky so some bit won't budge and other bits the chisel just scraps a bit off. The wall is cavity block so it can take a bit of a beating. Being lazy I was hoping there was a way to loosen it or soften it.

Beruthiel

morningstar

I am a complete novice when it comes to DIY stuff
but I'm about to move into a house where the kitchen tiles are probably 26 years old and I want to change them

how exactly did you get the tiles off the wall in the first place without accidently knock any holes in the wall? (I'm presuming that the wall is not just an outside one but the 'cardboard' dividing walls they have in houses these days)

gregos

MorningStar wrote:

The wall is cavity block so it can take a bit of a beating.

Sounds like a job for the old Kango. Take it down to the block with a chisel bit and build it up straight again with bonding.

kadman

Jaysus boys, easy on the heavy artillery there.

Kango....Gregos we need to talk about your over enthusiasm.

Kango might do more harm than good. If things are that difficult, it might be wise to revert to Rooferpetes, softly softly approach.

We might be advising on how to build a new wall , if the kango works real well.

kadman

gregos

kadman wrote:

Jaysus boys, easy on the heavy artillery there.

Kango....Gregos we need to talk about your over enthusiasm.

Kango might do more harm than good. If things are that difficult, it might be wise to revert to Rooferpetes, softly softly approach.

We might be advising on how to build a new wall , if the kango works real well.

kadman

Well, maybe not a kango, exactly. How about a kango-like object such as a drill with hammer-only action? Kango lite?

kadman

gregos wrote:

Well, maybe not a kango, exactly. How about a kango-like object such as a drill with hammer-only action? Kango lite?

Good man Gregos, smaller firepower, that'll do the job.

Even James Bond's 9mm Beretta,, was small and neat, but done the job.

kadman

gregos

kadman wrote:

Even James Bond's 9mm Beretta,, was small and neat, but done the job.

I wouldn't advise him to remove plaster with a 9mm Beretta.

rooferPete

Hi gregos,

Y'all is a spoil sport, I was looking forward to the post after that experiment

Hi Beruthial,

Well you could try the 9 mm but I don't really recommend it, if the rest of the kitchen is ok you can tile over the existing tiles, clean them well and tell the shop what you intend doing and they will give you the correct adhesive.

.

Beruthiel

rooferPete wrote:

Hi if the rest of the kitchen is ok you can tile over the existing tiles, clean them well and tell the shop what you intend doing and they will give you the correct adhesive.

good idea!
I might just try that
cheers