Comprehensive Guide On How To Remove Floor Tile From Concrete

Saying kinda farewell to the good old tile flooring within any space of the home is one of the unavoidable points we all have to come across at least once in both our and tiles’ lives! You might be planning on a tile removal project for making the room for a new flooring treatment or for addressing some sort of maintenance concerts. 

In addition to that, some smart folks also go for repurposing the old tiles which actually is a really brilliant idea to save money. And despite the root cause of one going for tile removal, it’s actually quite a major task to take over, however, isn’t way too difficult at all, since all you need to do is proceed in a proper manner and make sure to follow every single guideline explicitly.

And you can totally ace this seemingly demanding task in no time!

Let’s take a look at those easy and effective tile removal methods, Pro Flooring Guide has got you. 

How To Remove Floor Tile From Concrete

The very procedure of removing floor tiles from concrete is generally required when the floor does not contain enough space for getting another tile job. A DIY attempt in this regard can certainly save you a lot of bucks, besides giving you something new and incredibly fun to experience, however, the right set of equipment is a major and crucial requirement.

Tools And Materials Required

• Electric Tile Stripper 
• Cold Chisel
• Hammer
• Hand Maul
• Jack Hammer 
• Shop Vacuum
• Trowel

Personal Safety Equipments

Safety does come first and therefore you’ll need to ensure getting all these on beforehand:

• Dust Mask 
• Safety Glasses
• Knee Pads

Some Key Points To Remember While Tile Removal

Keep these few things in mind, before you move on to the actual process. This useful info is going to save you from a lot of trouble. 

• Ensure wearing completely-covering clothes such as pants and shirts with full sleeves and most importantly a dust mask so as to stay safe from the occasional (sometimes constant) sharp flying shards of tiles.

• Thinset Mortar usually takes more effort and of course, time, for come-off, as compared to old floors having a mastic adhesive.

• You might need to get (buy/rent) a small jackhammer having a chisel point, in case you’ll be dealing with really stubborn tiles.

• An electric tile stripper is a must-have if you’ll be working with larger spaces.

• Leaving the old tile there and going over it with the installation of the new one is the most effective approach of all. However, that’s gonna require door trimming and toilet ring extension since the newly installed floor will be a bit higher. 

Method For Tile Removal 

Here are the steps that you’ll need to follow, and patience, precaution, and careful proceeding are mandatory, as well. 

1. Start by working the chisel (get a 1 or ¾ inch one) between the concrete and the tiles, while using a 2 lb hand maul to hammer them up. You have to start your working from either a broken tile or from a spot where the grout has long been loosened. Proceed by working the chisel under the tiles, eventually forcing them to lose and move. As for the stubborn tiles, you’ll need to strike them in the face in order to break them up. 

2. Next up, comes the smoothening of the old concrete for which you’ll need to spread the concrete floor with the thin-set mortar, followed by leveling and smoothing it, prior to the installation of the new floor system.

3. Once the tiles have been removed, it’s now time for chiseling and scraping off the adhesive from the concrete. And even if you don’t manage to get all the adhesive off, the good news is that you can leave that up to a thickness level of ⅛ inches. After this, you’ll have to apply up to a ⅛ inch thick layer of Thin-set mortar with the help of a 12-inch trowel, using the flat side, for filling out the voids and leveling around the rest of the adhesive bits. 

4. In case of a new tile installation, you’ll have to use the same latex thin-set for setting the tile, since it’s a lot easier to handle and offers a far better grip for the ceramic tile, as compared to the mastic.

Removing Porcelain And Ceramic Tiles From Concrete Floor

None of them is excessively elbow grease, however, patience is always the key to successful conduct. And don’t forget to ensure the right safety conditions either!

Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to do, in order to get the Ceramic/Porcelain Tiles off your concrete floor(s).

Steps To Follow

1. In the first place, you’ll need a thoroughly clean space to work with and that requires removing all the objects from your surroundings. Not to mention the baseboard or trim as well, since those are likely to come your way. Also, make sure to cover any of the nearby objects that are likely to be damaged during your work.

2. Start by working over either a broken/chipped tile or the one with loosened grout, since such spots are the easiest to begin tearing up the floor. 

3. Next comes removing the tiles which require placing the chisel into the seam at any suitable angle, followed by hitting the end with a hammer, eventually loosening up the tile. Also, you’ll have to follow these same steps, in case you’re working with a chipping hammer or an air chisel either.

4. Once the first tile has been removed easily, at this point you can determine the very direction in which you’ll be proceeding with the removal of the rest of the tiles. Try looking for a perfectly fitting gap or edge for your chisel, since such spots are the easiest to deal with. As for the stubborn tiles, try sledge and chisel and make use of a little bit more patience-induced consistency than you normally would. And in most cases, things will work out in your favor and you’ll be successful with your tile removal.

5. For removing the adhesive and thinset, you’ll need to act upon the same guidelines, except for the conditional addition of an air hammer or at best the use of an automatic tool, if the tile seems somewhat difficult to deal with. 

How Much Does It Cost To Remove Tile From Concrete Floor

• In general, tile removal from concrete costs around $1.50 per square foot to $4.15 per square foot.

• As for the average pricing of professional tile removal, it goes up to $4.15 per square foot. 

FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does It Take To Remove The Tile Floor?

Removing tile floors is, in general, a task that essentially requires only a day or two and rarely more than that. Besides, if you’re taking over the tile removal project yourself, you need to be aware of the fact that it isn’t excessively demanding work at all, however, you do, are likely to end up getting very tired, so it’s always best to proceed with any such decision after judging your potential perfectly. Besides, you can speed up the procedure by prepping the working site and keeping all the tools ready beforehand. 

How Much For Floor Tile Removal?

Ceramic Tile Removal, in general, is a project that costs around $1.50 per square foot to $4.15 per square foot. Therefore, if you’ve got a 100 square feet area, then you can expect to pay up to $150 at least and maximally up to $450 for getting the removal treatment done. Over and above, certain additional factors can add to the overall project cost, such as the difficulty of tile removal or dealing with any major issues of the subfloor, which are likely to consume more time than usual. 

How To Dissolve Tile Adhesive?

A citric acid-based tile remover is what you’ll need to get the job done. It comes with the advantage of least toxicity and therefore is the safest to use. It is easy to use as well and all you need to do is place a wet cloth over the tile adhesive for essentially more than an hour, followed by gently rubbing the remover on the adhesive and it should come off easily. 

How To Clean Sticky Concrete Floors?

Some of the best cleaner options for sticky concrete floors are mild liquid dish detergent, castile soap, gentle floor cleaner and stone cleaners. All you need to do is make a cleaning solution using any of the above elements and apply it to the floor with the help of a mop. You might need to scrub the floor a bit and then you can rinse the cleaner off with a mop dipped in clean water.

Which Tool Is Used To Remove Tile From Concrete?

A masonry or ball-peen hammer along with a cold chisel is generally used for tapping the tile pieces free. Besides, in certain cases, one might as well, need to utilize heavy equipment like an air chisel or a jackhammer for tearing out the ceramic tiles. However, no matter what sort of equipment you consider using, it’s always mandatory to ensure the right kind of safety such as the usage of safety goggles as well as safety gloves, so as to keep any injuries or accidents at bay. 

Is It Possible To Remove And Reuse Floor Tiles?

Reusing ceramic tile is quite a smart idea and with a little accurate proceeding, you can easily get your desired repurposing results. It requires thorough cleaning and re-leveling of the tiles once they’ve been removed. This can be easily done by soaking all the tiles in a cleaning solution, followed by scraping off the mortar, which should make your tiles all good to be used once again. Lastly, you can go rinsing off the tiles and wiping them wholly.