Removing Old Flooring in Half Bath

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sullijos

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I am in the process of ripping up the old vinyl tile floor in my half bath so that I can install porcelain tile. I have removed all of the vinyl tiles but I am having a lot of difficulty removing the layer between that and the plywood subfloor. There is a middle layer that I can't identify (I am a DIY beginner). It is about as thin as the vinyl tile but is bonded to the subfloor with thin-set. As I try to pull this layer up it keeps ripping.

Any ideas what this layer is, and what might be the best way to remove it along with the thin-set? A picture of my floor is included through a link.

I thank you in advance for any advice you can provide.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AroJ7sKL8kFLznP_6FGXtQ?feat=directlink
 
I got a "page not found " error on the pics.
The layer could be glue or self leveler compound.
I would just remove the plywood layer and start fresh.:2cents:
 
That should not be thin-set. Thin-set is for ceramic tiles. Do you mean clear set vinyl tile adhesive?
 
Thin-set was the wrong word then. As you can no doubt tell, I am a beginner in all things DIY. I just bought my first house so I am learning as I go. Originally I thought there might be a 1/4" plywood underlayment for the vinyl tile, or I should say whatever the layer between the vinyl and plywood is. However, I can't seem to tell if the there is the 1/4" plywood underlayment or just subfloor (3/4"?). Any ideas?

Lav Floor.jpg
 
Impossible to tell what is the subfloor. But from the picture, you basically have a vinyl roll goods floor installed with black emulsion ashesive over the wood subfloor. The pattern is actually a very thin layer of vinyl, the white in the picture is the backing to the flooring, and the black is the adhesive.

The white backing is not going to come up very easily. It will tear into pieces, no matter what you do. There are floor tile chippers you can rent, but what I would have done is leave the floor intact, and install a new 1/4" subfloor right over the top. That is assuming the existing floor is in good condition and solidly adhered to the floor. Nail it down every 4" on the perimeter of the sheet, and every 8" throughout the field of the sheet, use a subfloor crack filler between sheets and over the nail holes, and presto, you're ready for the new flooring, whether it be roll goods, vinyl tile, or laminate. If you want to do ceramic, use 3/4" plywood rather than 1/4", and you'll need to use a mrble saddle or similar at the doorway.
 
The vinyl and the adhesive probably both contain asbestos.
 
What I think I may do is use thin-set mortar over the existing floor, and then install 1/4" hardibacker. Do you see any issues with this? My plan is to install porcelain tile.
 
sullijos said:
What I think I may do is use thin-set mortar over the existing floor, and then install 1/4" hardibacker. Do you see any issues with this? My plan is to install porcelain tile.
Click to expand...

It will most likely fail.
 
You won't know if the thin set will stick until it is to late, and then you will be doing it again. There is no easy way to get all the crap up but that is what needs to be done.
 
nealtw said:
You won't know if the thin set will stick until it is to late, and then you will be doing it again. There is no easy way to get all the crap up but that is what needs to be done.
Click to expand...

And then you must know exactly what you have for a subfloor.
 
Do you have a real good reason for installing ceramic tile on the floor? We have occasion to use our bathrooms while barefoot, and I would think if you do the same, you'll find ceramic tile to be quite cold-feeling on the bottoms of your feet.

A few months ago I refloored our half bath. It had a very old, glued linoleum that was a devil to tear off, similar to yours. Came up in bits and pieces. Bought a remnant of "flexifloor" vinyl at Jerry's Home Improvement, big enough for the half bath and the rear entry hall, for $70. Used Duroc (water putty) to level out the dips and doodles, let it set a day, then scuffed (sanded) the lumps off and put down the vinyl. Neat stuff, no glue needed, just held down by the floor moldings along the walls, and the toilet, of course. Looks great, feels warm and seems to wear like iron, although time will tell.
 
I understand these concerns but as I will be using thin-set in addition to securing the hardibacker with cement screws I don't think sticking should be an issue. I was under the impression that the mortar under the cement board acted more as a leveler than anything else. The porcelain tiles should stick to the mortar on the cement board just fine.

As far as the latest response goes, I do like the look and feel of porcelain, even in the winter. I grew up with wood floors so I am used to cold floors in the winter.
 
What ever you do with this floor, you can be sure we are all hoping it works out for you. Good luck and lets us know how everything works out.
 
do you have the right floor joints and subfloor for tile?
 
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