Removing floor tiles

[Hollie6464]

Hi,

I currently have ceramic floor tiles on a concrete base in the conservatory. I am wanting to remove these and replace with laminate flooring. Whilst preparing for the back breaking job of getting the tiles and adhesive up I have come across tile strippers for hire at Jewsons, HSS.

What are people's views on using them? The area is about 4m x 4m and the one tile I lifted in the corner when checking the base did not come up particularly easily.

Is it going to be worth hiring a tile stripper?

 

[alan333]

Try removing another few tiles first. When I took tiles off concrete in our bathroom the first one was tricky but the rest came off fairly clean.

Edit...I used a wide bolster chisel and a mash hammer.

 

[ree]

A hire stripper will cost time there and time back plus hire fee.

If you are having difficulty lifting the tile then yes, hire a stripper. Go to the hire store at opening time for a full days use - precheck what id and deposit they need. Get demo instructions of how to use it.

Some strippers have a blade that might lift adhesive.
However, a 9" angle grinder with a grinding disc will work with adhesive. Have someone labor for you with a vac.

Use an RCD, glasses, masks & gloves.
Hammer smash the first few tiles to get a cautious start.

 

[Diyisfun]

Could you not have left them as a base for the flooring, even fit ply over them

 

[Hollie6464]

Many thanks for your comments.

I would love to leave the tiles down and use them as a base but because I would like the laminate level with the living room in leaving the tiles down it would cause the floor to be higher. The other issue is that there is underfloor heating under the tiles which is causing quite a lot of unevenness.

 

[PrenticeBoyofDerry]

If you have SDS hammer and a tile removing chisel, it should not take long!
If not hammer and 4" chisel.
For removing the tile adhesive, soften up with warm water and scrape, or use of heat from a heat gun!

 

[ree]

With UF heating in place you will have to be extremely careful - one nick in the cable and you might have a big future problem.
Isolate the UFH before working on the floor. After removing the tile and adhesive, test the UF heating - leave it on for an hour or so.

The stripper will be the safest method for you given your previous difficulties - definitely dont go hammering or smashing the tiles. And as i suggested above, use a grinder for the adhesive.
I wouldn't go near the floor with a heat gun, you could damage the UFH cable or the sensor probe.

If the surface is still pretty uneven after the above then you will probably have to prime, & pour SLC before the new cover is fixed.

 

[joe-90]

If you have SDS hammer and a tile removing chisel, it should not take long!
If not hammer and 4" chisel.


At last a pro answer. I took a bathroom floor up a couple of weeks ago - it took about an hour with sds.