How to remove the tile from the floor: step by step instructions

If it is necessary to install a warm floor in the bathroom, a preliminary dismantling of the floor tiles may be necessary. Also, a similar procedure is carried out when replacing the damaged part of the coating, but how to remove the tile from the floor in each particular case? To do this, you need to prepare special tools and in the case of removing only one fragment or the entire cover to act differently.

Preliminary inspection

Since under the floor in the room where the dismantling will take place, there may be a distribution of the warm floor, water supply, sewerage and even electricity, you should familiarize yourself with their drawings in advance, so as not to damage during work. Also, before removing the tiles from the floor, it is necessary to determine whether the finishing material will be used in the future and to which solution it was fixed. On this depends the technique of removal and the number of necessary tools.

Preparation for work

Before removing the tiles from the floor, you should prepare tools and protective equipment. To date, there are a huge number of them and they are sold in specialized stores.

Among them:

• Dense gloves;
• Glasses;
• respirator;
• Dense clothing;
• A strong headdress.

All this is necessary to protect the body from flying fragments of tiles. They can damage not only the worker himself, but also the plumbing and furniture in the room, therefore, before starting work, the room should be completely freed. Using various tools in the work, you must strictly observe the safety of work.

Quick disassembly

Depending on the several conditions listed above, you may need a different set of tools. So, if the tile is not used in the future and the overlapping of communications under it allows, you can simply take a punch. This method is also used when the tile is laid on cement mortar. In this case, the expansion of the seams can be carried out with a drill or a screwdriver, without fear of damaging the edges of the fragments. To nail a cloud of dust you will need a spray with water.

Careful removal

If you want to answer the question of how to remove the tiles from the floor without damaging the fragments, then for this work you will need another set of tools. From the previous list, only a spray gun will be needed to wet the interlining seams before dismantling.

Also you will need:

• putty knife;
• Joint expander;
• a hammer;
• chisel;
• Rigid hooks made of wire in the shape of the letter P according to the size of the tile.

All this is necessary to remove the tiles without damage. It is important when choosing a wire mold to use only one that is free to enter the intertice joint in the thickness.

In addition, careful removal of the tile also provides for the cleaning of its surface from the solution. To do this, you need to prepare a convenient option at your own discretion.

Usually, one of the following tools is used to clean the tiles:

• Sandpaper;
• putty knife;
• A Bulgarian with a brush attachment;
• rasp.

Preparatory work

Before you carefully remove the tile from the floor, you need to do some preparatory work. It is important to know in this case that they relate exclusively to the finishing material fixed to the adhesive. Tiles, laid on cement, can not be removed neatly with any tricks. So, the first step is to expand the seams. To do this, they are abundantly wetted with water from the sprayer or special solvents.

The fact is that not every grout can soften from ordinary water, and in such cases use special mixtures or acid (lemon, acetic). After applying the liquid, it is left for half an hour, after which a layer of solution is removed. Now, after opening the mortar layer, it is necessary to soften it. Used for this is ordinary water, which is abundantly applied to the surface and left for a while. After losing the adhesive strength can go to the main works, which will take several hours.

Sequence of the process for accurate removal

Before removing the tile from the floor, you should tap it to detect a void. Since the technology of laying floor tiles provides filling the solution with 90%, then it is possible and not to find empty spaces. In this case, you should gradually slip the chisel under the open edge of the tile and lightly punch it with a hammer, gradually moving over the entire edge. After dismantling the first fragment, the subsequent fragments are processed from several open sides.

There is another option, how to remove the old tile from the floor. You can use the previously prepared hooks for this, and, winding them behind the opposite edges of the fragments, just pull out the canvases. Everything needs to be done slowly and very scrupulously to keep the finishing material intact.

When removing tiles in the bathroom, it is necessary to know in advance that due to frequent exposure to moisture its strength varies considerably and the ability to remove fragments is reduced.

Methods for removing the coating

In any case, before the work begins, it is necessary to expand the seams, as described above.

In total, there are three ways to remove tiles and this:

• With the help of a puncher;
• Hammer;
• Metal hooks.

The first option is best suited for solving issues on how to remove the tiles from the bathroom floor laid on the cement, and simply how quickly to remove the old coating. Used to do this, attach the perforator blade, which must be brought under the edges of the tile.

The method of working with a hammer and a chisel has been described above, as well as the method of removing tiles with hooks in the form of the letter P. Therefore, we will not return to their description again. Both are suitable for dismantling tidy tiles, but the effectiveness of the second method is noticeably better. Quality materials are completely removed in this way.

Floor cleaning

After removing the tile from the floor it turned out by any of the listed methods, it is necessary to clean the surface of the floor from the remnants of the solution. Here, too, there are several options, and the choice depends on the availability of various communications under the floor and the depth of their occurrence. If the pipes of any wiring are close to the surface, it is necessary to moisten the floor surface with plenty of water, gently remove the remnants of the solution with a spatula. If the rough floor does not have any communications, then you can also use a conventional puncher.

Stripping the tiles

Whole remote fragments can be used again in the future, but for this you need to pre-clean them from the remnants of the solution. Removal options in this case are also somewhat and the first involves the use of a conventional spatula for tipping pieces of glue.

For better stripping, you can use a coarse-grained sandpaper. Wrapping it with a wooden bar, it will be easier to rub the necessary fragments. Similarly, the rasp is used.

You can also use a grinder with a metal brush to clean the tiles, but in this case you should be careful not to wipe the panels together with the remnants of the mortar.

To facilitate the work of all methods of cleaning the tiles, you can pre-soak in water for several hours or sprinkle the rest of the solution with salt, which will make the structure of the adhesive more loose, thereby facilitating the removal.

Removing a single fragment

Many people have questions about how to remove staggering tiles from the floor or how to remove the chopped piece of flooring. On the need to withdraw from the entire coverage of only one or several damaged parts should be discussed separately. Such work also begins with the expansion of seams around the entire damaged area of the floor. In order to protect neighboring fragments from damage, it is desirable to cover them with paint tape, especially the edges adjacent to the tile to be removed. Since the damaged tile does not need to be kept whole, it is simply drilled on its surface by several drill holes and the resulting fragments are removed from the floor by a chisel and a hammer. In the future, the floor under the removed tiles is cleaned, small debris is blown out and a whole new fragment is attached to this place.

Conclusion

If there is no possibility or desire to use the services of a professional, then you can remove the tiles from the floor yourself. The set of necessary tools and the choice of method depend on the need to keep the whole tile and use it in the future and, most importantly, from the solution on which it is fixed. In any case, you should carefully perform all the actions, use proven materials for work, and most importantly, you need to follow the safety rules, then everything will turn out.