condoowner

Hey Neal, I dont think there is anything in the floor that would be damaged with chipping that tile off.... As far as I can tell, there are no wires, pipes, or anything else underneath, but having a small space heater located under one of the cupboards, I was thinking to install floor heaters while the tile work is removed....

Tomorrow I will pull the stove, use a cold chisel and a hammer and try to pop a tile to see how its coming off..

Im surprised no-one from Houserepairtalk has done anything like this. usually I get lots of comments right away.

nealtw

found some interesting videos

generation

Hey i have a way that requires little chipping no worry about destroying floor and pretty clean send me a message and ill let u know it depends on a few things type of tile stone ceramic so on. Type of adhesive used pull up part of one tile u will know hit me up on email ill let u know

nealtw

generation; It's better you if you ask and answer questions here, so we all can learn. And welcome.

condoowner

Funny, I replied the same thing this morning thru my android phone but for whatever reason, the message was not posted..

I agree with Neal, please port your recommendations here so all can benefit from this. This is the foundation of these forums, share & learn! I usually share anything I think will benefit people, my mistakes, my discoveries, good shots and bad moments...

But in the end, I am (so are everybody else) very interested in what you have to say!!! Please share with us!

condoowner

To answer your question generation, yes this is ceramic tiling, about 12x12 (or so), and about a quarter inch thick. I have no idea of the mortar they used to glue the tiles on the floor. I was told there could be a sliding mat or something similar to the Ditra membranes (the orange oplastic sheeting) under the tiles so they are "easily" pulled if upgraded, but it would be a contractor's decision, and I am pretty sure I dont have this since whoeve biult this place cheaped out on everything.....

I still have to pop a tile under the stove and post back here with pics and findings.

condoowner

Just about an hour after I started Almost half of the kitchen is done!

The problem will be to remove the mortar on the concrete slab... Some places its coming off with the tiles, some other places its stuck to the concrete floor so hard I cant even peel it with my 3in chisel...

Grinder? Tape sanding machine? What are people using???

So far the tiles are coming off in large chunks, some of them came off entirely in one piece! Its much easier than I thought...

CallMeVilla

Modern condos sometimes have light weight cement floors poured over the subfloor. This is relatively soupy and self-levels. You might be mistaking the "1.5" Portland cement" for what was done. In truth, you can't remove it because it is structural. Better do some research!

Next, you are NOT going to get the new dishwasher into the re-tiled kitchen. They are typically tight to begin with . . . You may not even be able to remove the existing DW ... the last one I had like this I had to disassemble into pieces before it could be removed!

My recommendation:

1. Get a rotary hammer and remove all the tile. Use a flat bladed bit
2. Get a small cement grinder and remove all the remaining high spots. Remember, you don't have to have a perfectly smooth floor, just one without serious ridges
3. Remove the appliances and DW
4. Re-tile using thinset. Try to pick a tile without that awful large grout line (outdated). Avoid travertine because it is porous and fragile in a kitchen. Tile under appliances.
5. Restore baseboard. Invite me to dinner.

condoowner

This concrete slab is not thicker than 1 to 1.5in thick. This is the same thing that I drilled in the living room for the fireplace steel framing. Jumping on the floor in the middle of the living room, the floor does bounce (but again I am 200# ..). I dont believe it is structural, but rather insulating against noise, fire, moisture and most of all to offer a flat and somehow rigid surface for flooring.. Nowhere in the house does it feel like solid 4 to 6 in concrete floor with rebar..

Please re-assume me in regards to structural. I really dont want to mess with structurals!

Since the first tiles were removed within minutes, I have decided to remove all tiles and start fresh. The DW is easily removable (its a new DW that I installed myself in May 2012). There is about 1in left of space underneath so theoretically speaking I could raise the floor up to an inch before the DW no longer fits in the cabinets.

around next weekend, I will have removed all lower cupboards and pantry, all appliances, removed all tiles and then I will be ready to scrape as much of this thinset as I can.

To remove the leftover thinset, a grinder would do? This is gonna make an awful amount of dust!!! Better tape off every cabinet remaining and door openings or else I will have silicosis...

isola96

To take every thing out to take it all up is silly to me. And tilling over that is just as a nightmare.... IMO. You will have to level the entire room and that's not easy to DIY it.