removing tile from tile

[mikejurasw]

Hi, I am considering restoring original subway tile in my bathroom which has been tiled over in the shower with 6x6 white ceramic tile. Has anyone had luck scraping the tile and thinset off in a situation like this?
Tips /advice welcomed.
Thanks,
MM

 

[havasu]

I don't think it will work. Have you ever tried to remove dried thinset from just a small piece of tile?

 

[mikejurasw]

Fair enough, but I'm talking about scraping the thinset of the glossy side of the original subway tile.
MM

 

[havasu]

As was I. It would be a very tedious process and would probably damage the glazing. Give it a shot, if you have lots of time on your hand. Honestly, ripping it all out, adding new tile board and new subway tiles would probably take less time.

 

[oldognewtrick]

As was I. It would be a very tedious process and would probably damage the glazing. Give it a shot, if you have lots of time on your hand. Honestly, ripping it all out, adding new tile board and new subway tiles would probably take less time.

And be one heck of a lot easier.

 

[Brian Famous]

I'd agree, that sounds like quite a tedious task. And there's always a chance you spend a lot of time doing an excellent job 1/2 - 3/4 through the job, then get to a section that's not salvagable. Can you find an exact replacement to do any necessary patch jobs?

 

[Fireguy5674]

And can you tell what is behind the whole thing? If you spend all the time and effort only to find that the backer is not sound and you have water leaking into the area behind the shower, you will be tearing it out anyhow. And how old is the plumbing behind the wall? Are you due for an upgrade? If I'm am doing much to a shower it always gets a new valve and piping. Depending on age etc., often I find half plugged plumbing from calcium build up and so forth.

'Anything worth doing is worth doing right.'

I can't attribute that quote to anyone but I have found it to be very true. Every time I try to "fix" something the "easy" way it bites me in the butt.