This was certainly something I was considering.
Do you mean to make sure I'm ripping up the backer board as well? Like start at an edge and try to get the chisel under it to start?
https://preview.redd.it/du03v8cxzp8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e89f806c3bb4e88fa3b88a09a21fab15c48f94f0
My last bathroom project I dealt with exact same issue. The backer board was only nailed down. I was able to cut squares and then lift tiles and back board off the sub floor.
Update:
I made a discovery. The back half of the kitchen has an addition of roughly 50 sq ft. The floor of the addition was higher than the existing floor, so that's why they built up the floor of the rest of the kitchen-- to be flush with the addition.
Ah, I love old houses and the character the previous owners brought to it 🙃
Had a similar issue in my house with the kitchen floors being higher than the rest of the house, practically was a trip hazard. We ended up taking the extra time to break up all the mortar thinset by hand using shovels and the tuff spots using a hammer and chisel. Was the best decision we made. It was laborious for sure, but in the end,
we nearly brought the floors back down to level with the rest of the house.
I hate you guys. I was hoping to have yall say "Yeah, it'll be fine, just put down some thinset and go over the top." 😂😂
I'll still hold out for someone to convince me that's the way to do it, but you guys just want me to do more work.
I have a masonry blade on on of my circular saws. I may try setting the depth to half an inch and make a run down the length of the floor every foot or so and see if that makes it easier to break it up.
lol, no one ever said homeownership was gonna be easy. But if you really don't want to put in the effort, then just go over the top like you were thinking. None of us will probably ever see it, so in the end do what you wanna do, we aren't here to judge you. Either way, good luck with your project!
Do not do that !! Do not ! Cement dust is terrible, it’s bad for you and bad for literally every single thing in your house. You will never get rid of the smell or the dust. It’s the finest sand you will ever feel. Do not cut it with a saw ever ! If it’s older it may have asbestos in it also. Just an FYI
lol. Mine was. 100 year old house as well. Worth the work though. I used the thinner concrete board with the new tile. It’s mostly worked out well. I could be wrong but beware of large tiles on really crooked floors though. I have one 4” spot I can’t keep grout. Maybe it’s because I used the thinner board, I finally used sanded caulk in it and it’s been fine.
I've heard that as well with the crooked floor. I'm planning on using some leveling clips so hopefully I'll be able to avoid the issue you had!
I am going to be using a tile that's considered large format. It's a 6x24 porcelain.
I'm really not looking forward to that. I had hoped to rip this tile out, do some thinset clean up, and get to putting the new floor down. But, that's how it goes. Once you get started, especially on these old houses, it turns into a bigger job than you planned on.
I literally just did this. You can:
1. Get a hammer drill and chisel bits. This sucks and takes a long time.
2. Get a large angle grinder with a diamond cup wheel and a vacuum attachment for a shop vac. This is much faster
Rent/buy a rotary hammer drill and use some large flat chisel bits. Get under the backer board, and it will make a much smaller mess.
This was certainly something I was considering. Do you mean to make sure I'm ripping up the backer board as well? Like start at an edge and try to get the chisel under it to start?
Yes
https://preview.redd.it/du03v8cxzp8d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e89f806c3bb4e88fa3b88a09a21fab15c48f94f0 My last bathroom project I dealt with exact same issue. The backer board was only nailed down. I was able to cut squares and then lift tiles and back board off the sub floor.
Update: I made a discovery. The back half of the kitchen has an addition of roughly 50 sq ft. The floor of the addition was higher than the existing floor, so that's why they built up the floor of the rest of the kitchen-- to be flush with the addition. Ah, I love old houses and the character the previous owners brought to it 🙃
Had a similar issue in my house with the kitchen floors being higher than the rest of the house, practically was a trip hazard. We ended up taking the extra time to break up all the mortar thinset by hand using shovels and the tuff spots using a hammer and chisel. Was the best decision we made. It was laborious for sure, but in the end, we nearly brought the floors back down to level with the rest of the house.
I hate you guys. I was hoping to have yall say "Yeah, it'll be fine, just put down some thinset and go over the top." 😂😂 I'll still hold out for someone to convince me that's the way to do it, but you guys just want me to do more work. I have a masonry blade on on of my circular saws. I may try setting the depth to half an inch and make a run down the length of the floor every foot or so and see if that makes it easier to break it up.
lol, no one ever said homeownership was gonna be easy. But if you really don't want to put in the effort, then just go over the top like you were thinking. None of us will probably ever see it, so in the end do what you wanna do, we aren't here to judge you. Either way, good luck with your project!
Do not do that !! Do not ! Cement dust is terrible, it’s bad for you and bad for literally every single thing in your house. You will never get rid of the smell or the dust. It’s the finest sand you will ever feel. Do not cut it with a saw ever ! If it’s older it may have asbestos in it also. Just an FYI
I think I would just remove the concrete board underneath the thinset. Hopefully it’s not glued down.
I know my luck, so I'm just going to assume it is glued.
lol. Mine was. 100 year old house as well. Worth the work though. I used the thinner concrete board with the new tile. It’s mostly worked out well. I could be wrong but beware of large tiles on really crooked floors though. I have one 4” spot I can’t keep grout. Maybe it’s because I used the thinner board, I finally used sanded caulk in it and it’s been fine.
I've heard that as well with the crooked floor. I'm planning on using some leveling clips so hopefully I'll be able to avoid the issue you had! I am going to be using a tile that's considered large format. It's a 6x24 porcelain. I'm really not looking forward to that. I had hoped to rip this tile out, do some thinset clean up, and get to putting the new floor down. But, that's how it goes. Once you get started, especially on these old houses, it turns into a bigger job than you planned on.
Remove everything. Looks like the tile popped up easily so you should have more than enough energy for the rest lol
Remove the backer board, too. It will make it easier if they did not use thinset under the board also. Either way, chipping hammer is the way
*thick set*
Electric hand jackhammer and grinder
If you grind that shit that dust will haunt you forever and ruin everything it touches. Not advise able.
Use hammer drill and pray to heaven that the backer board is not thin set it, and just screwed down!
I literally just did this. You can: 1. Get a hammer drill and chisel bits. This sucks and takes a long time. 2. Get a large angle grinder with a diamond cup wheel and a vacuum attachment for a shop vac. This is much faster
Demo Hammer. Rent the 27 pound Makita from Home Depot. It'll make quick work of it.
Large grinder with diamond cup and dust shield hooked to appropriate vacuum. Seal area off, use respirator.