How To Remove Tile Floors

If you want to remove your tile floor, you have a lot of physical labor ahead of you. The demolition work on a tile floor is very exhausting, but the good thing is that it does not require any special tools. Most interior tiles can be removed from your floor without a jackhammer. In fact, never use a jackhammer if you are removing the tile from a wood subfloor. Here's how to safely remove your tile floors.

What to Wear

First, start off by making sure you have all the right safety equipment. Wear thick pants or jeans to protect you from shattered tile. Knee pads are also vital because they will reduce impact and put less stress on your back. of course, safety goggles should be worn to protect your eyes from debris. Lastly, try to wear steel-toe boots. These are not only protective, they can also be very useful demolition tools. Being able to kick a tile loose very once in a while is very convenient (but painful if you are just wearing sneakers).

The Best Tools and How to Use Them

You will definitely want to invest in a sledgehammer, but you we'll also need a traditional hammer and several chisels. During the job, the chisels will get blunted so you can either sharpen them or replace them throughout the day.

One effective way to remove whole pieces of tile without shattering them into a million shards is to score the grout with the chisels. You don't need to remove all the grout, just tap it to create a line that will be the breaking point. Next, place a towel over the tile you are about to hit with the sledgehammer. Hit right in the center of the tile and this will often dislodge the mortar underneath. This is not a fail proof method, but it will prevent the breaking up of the tile. Once you get the tile removed, there is a good chance that the mortar will still be stuck to the subfloor. Similarly, the best way to remove this is to just strike it with a sledgehammer.

Of course, this will create a lot of dust and require a lot of loads to the dump. Use 5-gallon bucket to transport the debris. A full size trashcan will quickly become too heavy to move. Also, the sharp tile pieces will cut through trash bags.

To clean up your floor when all the debris is removed, you will need a wet/dry vacuum. For assistance, talk to a professional like Wetherington Restoration & Remodeling Inc.