Removing and laying ceramic floor tiles?
Question:Wondering what the best way to remove ceramic tiles from my kitchen floor is. I know I'll need a hammer to break the tiles, but what should I use to pull them up? I'm laying new tiles in their place, how concerned should I be with removing old thinset? How should I remove the old thinset?
Answers:
If you can get a wide flat chisel under the tiles then it is better to use this than smashing the tiles with a hammer.
Once the tiles are up you need to remove as much of the thin set a possible. You can apply new thin set directly on top of it but there will be a height difference between the old floor level and the new.
You will hav ebest results removing them with a "demo hammer", which is like a small electric jack hammer. You can rent them from hardware stores. The old thinset is hard and will be in the way of the new tiles. It will prevent them form lieing flat on the surface of the old floor, so you should remove as much of it as possible. If you cannot get the very last bit up don't worry too much, as long as the old thinset haze is adhered tightly to the floor. The new thinset will bond to both the floor and the old thinset.
Always wear eye protection. That old ceramic tile will be as sharp as glass when it breaks, and will become airborne and may cut your eyeballs up. Don't make this mistake!. Wear gloves and long pants as well. Kneepads are also useful.
Helping my brother in law do his and were quite blessed. The guy who had put them down used roofing paper over the plywood so we could just pull the staples and up the came. I shared this not so much for getting them up as for something to consider when putting the news ones down.
If you have the clearence, you could tile over the old with an 'epoxy mortar'.
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