Tile Removal help/suggestions?

JK_Byron

JK_Byron

OvrDose
Joined
May 5, 2011
Location
Fletcher, NC
photo floor.JPG


I'm redoing the old floors in my house and currently removing the old flooring which consist of some engineered HW, carpet, and tile.

I have a questions about the easiest, most proficient way to remove the tile. It's tile/grout on top of backer bored, the backer bored is on top of some cheap vinyl flooring, the vinyl flooring is on top of 1/4in underlayment, then the sub flooring.

I want to remove everything down to the subflooring. Would I do that in sections meaning start under the backer bored and once that stuff is removed, then remove the vinyl and 1/4in underlayment? Or would I just go in all the way and pry up from the 1/4 underlayment?

Another question is what us the best tool(s) for that? I have a good 15in pry bar. Would I need to get something with more leverage like a Pro Pry Bar, 46in? Is there a good tool to rent? I don't want to mess up the subflooring.

Here is a pic of what I'm removing.
 
Falko said:
Did they put the backer board down with mortar? That'd make a big difference in the way I'd go about it.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna guess NO, but I'm not 100% on that.
 
a bulldozer...
 
Circular saw, diamond abrasive blade down the grout lines every 3 or 4 tiles deep enough to get through the backer and linoleum. Take it out in squares rather than busting it all.

Then take the remaining linoleum and 1/4 out as s second step
 
Falko said:
Circular saw, diamond abrasive blade down the grout lines every 3 or 4 tiles deep enough to get through the backer and linoleum. Take it out in squares rather than busting it all.

Then take the remaining linoleum and 1/4 out as s second step
Click to expand...

Like this guy?

 
You can rent a machine (kinda like above but better) that's specifically for tile removing. But after a couple of days using it, you'd prefer someone to just drag your body down a gravel road instead of getting behind it ever again. It's fast and easy though and can be adjusted for depth. If using a tile remover machine, I'd go to the last layer of vinyl and then do it by hand to not scar the sub so bad.

But most the time I've seen skill saw removal method unless it's on concrete slab. Takes longer but works. If it was on slab, you'd have no choice but with a machine.
 
It SUCKS. Period. End of story. I laid tile for 10ish years. I hope (for your sanity) they used ring shank nails (absolutely the worst way to put down underlayment). If they screwed the underlayment or used thinset, you are in for a journey. I even saw one @$$hole that used a pneumatic stapler to put down underlayment. My daddy and I cussed that guy for a whole day.

Hammer, prybar, chisel, saw with diamond blade, shop vac, beer, muscle relaxers.
 
You going to laugh at me but I did this last week.

Whats under this level?
Crawl space or basement or ceiling of floor below?
 
sgtbriangreen said:
If they screwed the underlayment or used thinset, you are in for a journey.
Click to expand...

I have always used Robertson head screws.
I'm sure the guy behind me hates me too :D
 
Ron said:
You going to laugh at me but I did this last week.

Whats under this level?
Crawl space or basement or ceiling of floor below?
Click to expand...

About a 3 to 4 ft crawl space and I will be removing about 280 sqft.

This is my afterwork project for the next 2 weeks. I think I'm going to go get that Rockwell Mini Circular Saw as well as a diamond blade and go to town... Actually I think I'm going to get that 4in1 Kobalt saw that guy is using in the first video. It has a vacuum attachment so I won't dust up the entire house.
 
Last edited:
Ok.
Again Im not saying its best or whatever but faced with a nearly identical situation last week, I knocked the sub floor up from below and replaced 6 sheets of plywood.
I spent an extra $200 for sure but I was done in under 2 hours...

Whats your time worth and what will those saws cost?
 
Ron said:
Ok.
Again Im not saying its best or whatever but faced with a nearly identical situation last week, I knocked the sub floor up from below and replaced 6 sheets of plywood.
I spent an extra $200 for sure but I was done in under 2 hours...

Whats your time worth and what will those saws cost?
Click to expand...

frankly this sounds like more fun!
 
It dosent matter how much dust you try to control. It will still be so dusty you will want a mask.
 
I would start with a sledge hammer, clean, then skill saw grids into the floor clear down to the subfloor. Scaring the subfloor is no big deal, just don't go all the way through.
 
x2 on the sledge hammer. Just hang some plastic on any doors leading out and put a fan in the nearest window. It's gonna be messy and dusty no matter how you do it, so you might as well have fun with it. Ive used screws in backerboard before too so it's not an uncommon practice but it does bring the suck when removing it.
 
Ron said:
Ok.
Again Im not saying its best or whatever but faced with a nearly identical situation last week, I knocked the sub floor up from below and replaced 6 sheets of plywood.
I spent an extra $200 for sure but I was done in under 2 hours...

Whats your time worth and what will those saws cost?
Click to expand...

This!
@JK_Byron, you know where you can get cheap plywood about 1/2 mile from your house ;)
Work smart, not hard.
 
Ron said:
Ok.
Again Im not saying its best or whatever but faced with a nearly identical situation last week, I knocked the sub floor up from below and replaced 6 sheets of plywood.
I spent an extra $200 for sure but I was done in under 2 hours...

Whats your time worth and what will those saws cost?
Click to expand...
I guess you cut the subfloor from the walls and had a good bit of room under the house or a basement, also removed the tub? Seems like more work than a BFH.
 
Granted it may not work in every layout, but where I did it...

It was a kitchen and the cabinets ran down one wall and the tile didnt go under the cabinets so the last board on that end didnt come out.
On both "ends" it opened into other rooms so we took the next full board.
One wall was along a wall and the sub of course went under said wall. We cut that one back to the last joist, sistered another joist to it for support and went from there.

Im sure experienced folks can get tile up easy enough, we were ging back with floating vinyl plank/laminate so we needed a smooth base and I cant ever get the sub floor smooth enough to not feel under float or carpet.
 
Thought I'd update and share my experience so far.

I bought the kobalt 4in saw with vacuum attachment and have been cutting the grout lines. At first I was doing every tile and now I'm doing every two tiles... So far so good!

The tile, backer board and vinyl come right up leaving the screws in the sub flooring.
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1407936752.757668.jpg

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1407936776.290132.jpg


To get the screws out I just use my screw gun and back them out.

Thanks for the help and the suggestions.
 
You are lucky. In a little over 8 years of doing tile, I have only pulled up 1 floor that easy. The clown used roofing nails and I was pulling up 3x5 sheets of the floor. Tile was still stuck to the underlayment. Every other floor that I had to pull up was broken in little tiny pieces.
 
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