How to remove tiles from the floor without a punch

Removal of tiles from the site by destruction

In case of partial, spot repair of the finish, it is necessary to remove the grout from the tile seams around the perimeter of the repaired area. Removal of cement-based adhesive is performed with a flat-tipped scraper, wetting the periodically removed grout. Epoxy-based glue is pre-treated with a special solvent. Then, through holes with a diameter of 8-10 mm are drilled in the tiles to be removed (5-6 in each), and the ceramics are carefully crumbled with a chisel and hammer, cut from the floor.

After removing the tiles, you need to cut out the old adhesive from the niche. If the cladding was laid on tile glue, then the old mixture can be chopped off with a narrow sharp chisel, trying not to peel off neighboring products from the base. The old cement-sand mortar must be cut with an angle grinder with a “dry cutter” along the perimeter of the repaired area and then also cut from the surface.

Dismantling ceramic floor tiles

Even very hard types of floor ceramics are damaged and worn out during use. In addition, in today’s constantly replenishing variety of building materials, facing tiles are quickly becoming obsolete and morally, as tile manufacturers offer more and more attractive types of ceramics. Therefore, changing the ceramic floor covering, despite the durability of such a cladding, the procedure is not uncommon.

Some tools will be needed to remove the floor tiles

Consider ways to dismantle the old flooring, since you can remove the tiles from the floor yourself, saving the funds allocated for repairs.

How to Remove Tile from a Concrete Floor

Gentle removal of tiles in full

Before starting a complete dismantling, it is necessary to remove the old grout from all joints in order to break the solidity of the cladding and to weaken the fixation of the ceramics in the rows. Then the grooves between the tiles are filled with water several times, soaking and loosening the tile adhesive. Each tile is carefully tapped with a wooden mallet in order to find and, if possible, multiply the voids under the tile, making it easier to disassemble. From one of these weakened areas, the ceramics are removed.

The exfoliated product is pry off with a spatula and a second spatula is inserted into the gap under it, driving it deeper with hammer blows. If it was not possible to lift the sheet whole, it is broken and removed in parts. The resulting niche will allow you to drive the spatula deeper under the adjacent products and facilitate their dismantling. Under the raised tile, you can wind a string and alternately pull on its ends, knocking the spatulas next to them. Sometimes it is possible to successfully lift the sheet by inserting pieces of steel wire with hooks at the ends into the seams on opposite sides of the tile and carefully pulling the product, while knocking a spatula under it.

It is impossible to describe all the possible details of the ceramic removal algorithm, but the tool used, depending on the situation, will prompt its application.

The number of successfully dismantled tiles cannot be predicted, but practice shows that the sparing dismantling of porcelain stoneware, due to its strength, is fully justified, and dismantling of ceramic tiles laid on a cement-sand mortar correctly is futile.

Types of dismantling ceramics from the floor

There are two types of situations when removing floor tiles:

  • dismantling of ceramics without prospect of its further use:
  • full;
  • partial;
  • gentle dismantling of the cladding in order to maximize the preservation of the dismantled material:
  • in full;
  • repair (spot).
    • the presence of ceramic cladding on the walls, and its further perspective;
    • type of adhesive under the tile to be dismantled;
    • dimensions and type of floor ceramics.

    The influence of these circumstances on the dismantling technology is significant, therefore, the description of the types of disassembly of the floor covering can be performed taking into account the listed factors.

    Gentle disassembly of the cladding in order to maximize the preservation of the dismantled material

    Gentle dismantling of floor ceramics also requires the same protective preparatory measures as when removing tiles by destroying the cladding, since after carefully removing the finish, it is necessary to cut off the old tile adhesive from the base, fragments of which are dangerous for wall tiles.

    Protective measures when removing floor tiles

    Along the perimeter of the room, after dismantling the plinth, an incision is made at an angle of 45 degrees at the junction of the walls with the floor with an angle grinder with a dry cutter, the depth of which should be equal to the thickness of the tile and the layer of tile adhesive under it. This slot will keep the bottom edge of the first row of wall trim intact when the floor ceramics are removed. In addition, the outermost tiles of the new flooring can be inserted into the formed groove in the wall in order to restore the correct mating of the cladding of the vertical and horizontal bases, when the lower row of tiles must lie on the ceramic of the floor finish.

    Next, the tile is carefully removed from the floor with a chisel.

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    The floor and walls of the room are freed from household utensils, after which the tiled walls around the perimeter and doors are protected to a height of approximately 1 meter with sheets of corrugated cardboard, attached to the base with adhesive tape.

    Removing floor tiles

    The complete dismantling of ceramic tiles begins with destruction, chipping off one sheet in the middle of the floor with a perforator with a sharp lance or a hand tool. Then the lance is changed to a chisel, and the removal of the tiles from the base is continued, placing the nozzle at an acute angle to the floor. this will reduce the detonation of the walls and the likelihood of delamination of their cladding. Together with the tiles, it is necessary to cut down the old tile adhesive in order to keep the level of the new floor at the same level.

    All work on removing tiles with a perforator or a hand tool must be carried out in goggles, a respirator, gloves, overalls and shoes.

    It is better to remove ceramics from boxes of water supply and sewage systems in order to avoid accidental damage to pipes by hand. with a chisel and hammer.

    Spot (repair) disassembly of floor tiles

    Such repairs are made when the ceramic has peeled off on a small area of ​​the floor, and it must be lifted and re-laid in its place.

    Taking into account the fact that there is a void under the tile to be dismantled, it is not difficult to remove it from its niche. Grout is removed around the exfoliated products and between them, after which the tile is carefully removed from the seats with thin steel spatulas.

    If glued to bituminous mastic

    In Soviet times, bituminous mastic was used instead of mortar. If a black and gray stain is found under the tiles, this is definitely it. In this case, it will be easier if the tile is warmed up. It will warm up and soften the mastic and then you can pick it up. If it was possible to lift it, we direct the hot air into the gap, continuing to pull it up. And again, do not exert extra effort. You can and break.

    If there is a thin black layer under the tile, it was glued onto a mixture of bitumen and cement. The easiest way to remove is by heating the bitumen.

    How To Remove Tile. Crucial ADVICE for Removing Ceramic Tile Floor!

    How to warm? With a building hairdryer, if available, but not at the maximum. It is impossible to overheat, since a crack can form from a local temperature difference and everything will be in vain. So we heat for a long time, slowly, gradually. The second option is heating with an iron, but this is already without guarantees, although it also worked, though with a not very large tile thickness.

    Removing the grout

    You can remove the grout with a knife (but it will come to an end or you will have to sharpen it), a scraper, an old screwdriver, a sharpened chisel. In general, everything that allows you to remove the grout between the seams at least a little. Long, dreary. If the grout is epoxy, there are special solvent gels. For example, Litostrip from Litokol. They are applied for several hours (depending on the age of grouting), soften the composition, after which it is easier to remove. But epoxy grout peels off worse than usual, even after a solvent.

    Small angle grinder equipped with a special disc

    There is a faster way, but it does not guarantee the safety of the tile. take an angle grinder with a small and thin disc on concrete (or glass, if you cannot find a suitable concrete one) and clean the seams around the tile with this tool. Much faster this way, but very dusty. This time. The tiles can be damaged. These are two. So not a good option.

    How to gently remove tiles from the floor

    Remove the old tile before replacing it. There are, of course, technologies that allow laying tiles on old tiles, but in this case, reliability and durability are questionable. After all, it all depends not only on how the last layer was laid, but the previous one too. If suddenly the old glue decides to move away, all layers will rise. So the best solution is to dismantle the tiles, and then install a new one. This is the safest.

    Features and tricks

    If you’re unlucky enough to remove a small portion of the coating, take a close look at what’s hidden in the screed. If there is a painting net. plastic, or something that resembles it, try to drive the tool under this net. Chances are that anything higher will come off in a cake or in large chunks. And to shoot down what remains, or not, will have to be decided later. But without a tile, the solution gets off easier.

    See the grid? It is better to drive the edge of the tool under it.

    The most difficult case is if a masonry mesh was laid under the tiles. This is a welded metal mesh. If it is not necessary to remove it, it is better to remove the layers that are higher. If you have to remove it, it may be easier to first cut the floor into small squares with an angle grinder, guaranteed to cut the mesh, and then work with a crowbar, crowbar, crowbar, clearing one section of the floor after another from the tiles. Removing tiles with masonry mesh is a tricky task.

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    Trying to remove without damage

    After the seams have been freed from the grout, we will try to tear off one fragment after another. Find a spatula or other similar steel tool that is as wide as the tile. It is inserted into the cleaned seam, trying to drive it either under the ceramics or under a layer of glue. Here’s how it goes or how lucky. Then we act as a tool as a lever, trying to tear it off the floor.

    A good tool will be easy to use

    It is not always easy to find a sufficiently strong trowel with a large width. After all, large-format tiles can be laid on the floor. Then you need a few narrower tools. They are driven along the edges and in the middle or next to one another with a small gap. Gradually, without haste, the blades are wound under the ceramics, trying to get into the solution / glue. We deepen the blades in turn, gradually moving each. From time to time you can try to undermine, but you need to press all the handles at the same time. To do this, you can lay a board on them, putting efforts on it.

    The further the blades are driven, the less chance the tile will break. So don’t be in a hurry. And super-efforts are also useless. If it doesn’t work, but the tiles need to be saved, the same operation may be required from the sides. It is difficult and long. And, what is most offensive, the result is not guaranteed. Sometimes everything seems to be whole, but when the tiles were dismantled, a microcrack formed. During operation, dust / dirt is stuffed into it and it becomes noticeable.

    Removing tiles: how to proceed

    The technique for dismantling ceramic or tile floor tiles is simple:

    • A scrap, chisel or punch blade is pushed between the base of the floor and the glue or compound on which the tiles were laid.
    • If a hand tool is used, the sequence depends on the tool:
    • The chisel is knocked on with a hammer. This method is good for small areas or if you need to “point” to remove several tiles. Also done at the very beginning. so that you can insert the same punch blade.

    If you need to remove small areas of the tile, you can work with a chisel and a hammer.

  • The punch hammer itself. All that is needed is to choose the correct mode and paddle. If it is necessary to simultaneously remove thick tile adhesive, a massive tip is needed. If you’re only trying to knock off tiles, the spatula is thin and narrow. And you have to look for the angle of inclination of the tool.
  • You can put your own weight on the scrap or crowbar. If it works, then try to knock it down with a hammer to drive the point deeper. Then lean on to tear off a larger layer.
  • The result of any outcome from tile dismantling methods is how lucky. Sometimes a small part breaks off. if this continues, it will take a lot of time. But it also happens that it leaves in layers, in large chunks. Then dismantling the tiles will take very little time.

    How to remove tiles without damaging

    If there are no tiles in stock, but you need to get to the lower layers or communications in the floor, you can try to remove it without damaging it. Let’s say right away that the chances are slim. Everything depends on the quality of the glue. the worse it is, the better. Or if the tiles were laid in violation of the technology. on windy glue. this is when it has already begun to set, covered with a film, and tiles were laid on it. Then, if you pry the tile over the edge, it will easily come off. But you still have to get to the edge. The joints are usually grout. Here we delete it first. So, you can remove the tiles from the floor without damaging them, but no one guarantees the result.

    How to remove floor tiles

    If you decide to replace the tiles, there shouldn’t be any special difficulties. After all, you don’t need the tile itself, so you don’t have to worry about removing it without damage. True, it will be dusty and noisy. But how quickly you can remove the tiles is a question. The amount of time spent depends on how well the craftsman has done and what materials are used. Sometimes it takes a couple of hours to dismantle the tiles on the floor, and sometimes the same area has to be cleaned for several days. Sometimes there are such that it is easier to leave than to knock down, but this is quite a rare occurrence.

    Removing tiles is dusty and physically challenging

    If you think there is a miracle cure, you are wrong. Despite the fact that technology is moving forward, the dismantling of tiles is carried out using old-fashioned methods. with the use of force. If there are some electrical devices such as a hammer drill, less effort will be required. If there is no such device, you will need a chisel, crowbar, pry bar or crowbar, a sledgehammer, hammers of different weights and physical strength.

    Removing damaged tiles

    Separately, we can highlight the technology of dismantling the piece facing material. It often happens that improperly laid tiles chip or crack. In order not to completely change the lining, the damaged area is removed. To begin with, the seams are sewn around the deformed canvas. If possible, the edges of adjacent modules are protected from damage with molar tape.

    Several holes are drilled along the surface. This will loosen the fastening of the blade. And then, with the help of a chisel and a hammer, they carefully break off the tiles with pieces. To put a new one, clean the base. Fine debris from the resulting hole is blown out with a hair dryer.

    Useful How to remove old tiles from the floor?

    Using a hammer and chisel or a scarpel

    This method is used if you want to remove the old tiles from the floor without defects and if there is a danger of damage to the warm floor system, communications. After removing the grout from the seams, take a chisel and bring it under the open edge of the tile at an acute angle. Slight blows along the edge are knocked out. After removing the first canvas, it becomes possible to knock out adjacent modules from both sides.

    Tips for removing without damaging the tiles

    It should be understood that if the old coating on the cement was made, then it will not be possible to remove it without flaws. Therefore, the advice applies to the topcoat applied with glue.

    The whole process is decomposed into several stages:

    • Sewing seams. Tile joints are abundantly wetted with water through a spray bottle. There are groutings that cannot be softened in this way. For them, special solvents are used, or citric or acetic acids. The liquid is abundantly applied to the joints, given 20 minutes to soften the grout. Take a spatula or a special joiner, remove the mortar.
    • Water saturation of the glue. Liquid is abundantly applied to the seams. Wait 20 minutes. During this time, the glue becomes saturated with moisture and partially loses its strength. You can start dismantling.
    • To begin with, I gently tap the edge of the canvas, looking for voids. It is important to know that according to the technology, the floor cladding must be covered by 90% with an adhesive. Otherwise, during operation, it will be pricked under mechanical stress. If no voids are found, a scarpel is gently slipped under the edge. She is knocked out with light hammer blows. The scalpel is held at an acute angle. Such processing is carried out along the entire edge. When the first canvas is removed, the subsequent modules are tamped on both sides. Which reduces the risk of damage.

    Homemade hooks can also be used. They are taken over the opposite edges of the canvases and pulled.

    Tile Removal Made Easy DIY

    If the tile is needed intact, then the work is done only mechanically. Dismantling is done without haste, carefully. To remove the cladding from the wall without damage, start from the top row. For wall tiles, the percentage of glue coverage is recommended from 70%. Finding voids is much easier.

    A firmly laid finish cannot be removed without defects. You cannot do without a puncher in such situations. The floor covering in the bathroom will also be difficult to remove in one piece. It was constantly exposed to moisture and the strength properties changed because of this.

    Removing tiles: how to proceed

    The technique for dismantling ceramic or tile floor tiles is simple:

    • A scrap, chisel or punch blade is pushed between the base of the floor and the adhesive or compound on which the tiles were laid.
    • If a hand tool is used, the sequence depends on the tool:
    • The chisel is knocked on with a hammer. This method is good for small areas or if you need to “point” to remove several tiles. Also done at the very beginning. so that you can insert the same punch blade.

    If you need to remove small areas of the tile, you can work with a chisel and a hammer.

  • The punch hammer itself. All that is needed is to choose the correct mode and paddle. If it is necessary to simultaneously remove thick tile adhesive, a massive tip is needed. If you’re only trying to hit the tiles, the blade is thin and narrow. And you have to look for the angle of inclination of the tool.
  • You can put your own weight on the scrap or crowbar. If it works, then try to knock it out with a hammer to drive the point deeper. Then lean on to tear off a larger layer.
  • The result of any outcome from tile dismantling methods is how lucky. Sometimes some small part breaks off. if this continues, it will take a lot of time. But it also happens that it leaves in layers, in large chunks. Then dismantling the tiles will take very little time.

    How to gently remove tiles from the floor

    What tools are needed for dismantling

    Before work, if possible, remove or cover furniture and plumbing. This will protect it from chips, damage, pollution.

    • Spray. Needed for wetting the seams.
    • Scarpel or chisel, hammer. It is used when you need to carefully remove the tile.
    • Putty knife. For cleaning canvases, base and seams.
    • Rotary hammer with a blade attachment. In this way, the tiles are quickly dismantled. It is also in demand when the glue base is cement.
    • Expander of seams. A spatula will also work, but with a specialized tool, the risk of chipping is reduced.
    • Drill or screwdriver. If the preservation of the facing is not required, then these tools are used to embroider the seams.
    • Two pieces of stiff wire with a diameter no thicker than the width of the tile joints. U-shaped hooks are made of them.

    A simple tool is required for work. His choice depends on how you need to remove the tile without damaging it or dismantle it for disposal.

    To remove the mortar from the tile, you will need: a spatula, coarse sandpaper and a block, a rasp, an angle grinder with a metal brush. The most convenient and affordable tool for work is selected.

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    Tile dismantling methods

    It is recommended to embroider the seams before starting work. Especially when high-quality dismantling is required without damaging the material. There are three main ways:

    Removing the grout

    You can remove the grout with a knife (but it will come to an end or you will have to sharpen it), a scraper, an old screwdriver, a sharpened chisel. In general, everything that allows you to remove the grout between the seams at least a little. Long, dreary. If the grout is epoxy, there are special solvent gels. For example, Litostrip from Litokol. They are applied for several hours (depending on the age of grouting), soften the composition, after which it is easier to remove. But epoxy grout peels off worse than usual, even after a solvent.

    Small angle grinder equipped with a special disc

    There is a faster way, but it does not guarantee the safety of the tile. take an angle grinder with a small and thin disc on concrete (or glass, if you cannot find a suitable concrete one) and clean the seams around the tile with this tool. Much faster this way, but very dusty. This time. The tiles can be damaged. These are two. So not a good option.