I've a large expanse of red Victorian tiles with Ruabon Adamantine Tile written on them, about 6"x3"in size laid in a pattern like:
ll=ll=
=ll=ll
if that makes sense.
they're incredibly well bedded on some kind of white mortar type substance. Building age is 1926
at present the technique I'm using to lift them is:
place a bolster along the long edge at more vertical than 45 degrees and pound it 2 or 3 times with a lump hammer until i see the dust on the tile surface jump
Pull at the tile with fingers, if it wiggles wiggle it while pulling away from the others
If it doesn't budge, use a rubber mallet to drive the bolster under the tile and lever up. Try removing the bolster and wiggle again
some come up easy, some break in half or chip a corner. I'm probably breaking 15% of them at the moment
is there a better technique i can use? Is there some kind of acid i can pour that will dissolve whatever the mortar is? The brickwork uses lime mortar, might the tiles be bedded on the same?
ll=ll=
=ll=ll
if that makes sense.
they're incredibly well bedded on some kind of white mortar type substance. Building age is 1926
at present the technique I'm using to lift them is:
place a bolster along the long edge at more vertical than 45 degrees and pound it 2 or 3 times with a lump hammer until i see the dust on the tile surface jump
Pull at the tile with fingers, if it wiggles wiggle it while pulling away from the others
If it doesn't budge, use a rubber mallet to drive the bolster under the tile and lever up. Try removing the bolster and wiggle again
some come up easy, some break in half or chip a corner. I'm probably breaking 15% of them at the moment
is there a better technique i can use? Is there some kind of acid i can pour that will dissolve whatever the mortar is? The brickwork uses lime mortar, might the tiles be bedded on the same?