If you decide to update the interior of the kitchen or bathroom, and tiles are laid on the walls or floor, then there will be a need to remove this finish. Sometimes such manipulations are associated with the replacement of utilities. You can perform the dismantling yourself, for this you do not have to invite specialists. The task is not so difficult, but some tips still come in handy.
Tool preparation
If you will dismantle ceramic tiles, then you should prepare some tools, among them:
- rough knife;
- hammer;
- Bulgarian;
- hammer drill.
Additionally, you need warm water. In order to free the seams between the tiles, you can stock up with a spatula and a chisel. You will moisten the grout with water, and to remove small fragments you will need a chisel and an impact screwdriver.
If there is a cement mortar between the products, then an angle grinder can be used to clean the seams . For rough dismantling, you need a hammer drill, which is supplied with a drill and nozzles in the form of peaks and chisels. Sometimes the dismantling of the tiles is carried out as carefully as possible, in which case the finish can be reused.
Recommendations for careful removal
If you want to save the tile for further installation, then at the first stage, the joints between the products must be moistened with hot water. This is true if the grout is made on the basis of gypsum mixtures. Once the grout is loosened, you can remove it with a spatula or chisel, while the edges are cleaned with a knife.
Sometimes grouting requires re-wetting, this may be necessary as fragments are removed. As soon as the cleaning is completed, the seams are washed again with warm water using rags.
Careful dismantling technique
If you decide to carry out the dismantling of the tiles, floor repair after can be done. But first you need to check or remember what material was used to lay the finish. If the installation work involved the use of a cement composition, it will be much easier to destroy it than special glue.
Once the seams can be cleaned, you can install a chisel or impact screwdriver in the gap between the wall and the tile. Further on the handle of the tool you need to tap with a hammer, trying to separate the entire tile. You should act along the entire perimeter of the tile, trying to pick it up from different sides.
If it happened that the dismantling of the tiles resulted in cracking of the finish, then the process can be accelerated using a chisel. The whole tile is laid to the side, and after washing, the material can be reused. Seams can be cleaned with the help of two pieces of red-hot wire, it must be selected taking into account the diameter, which should be equal to the limit of 3 to 4 mm.
Bent ends must be placed under the edges of the product. The back of the tile can be cleaned of the adhesive solution using a special nozzle in the form of a wire brush for a grinder or drill. These manipulations must be accompanied by caution, the only way to prevent damage to the front side of the finish.
Rough dismantling
The dismantling of the tiles can also be carried out not so accurately. This approach is relevant if you do not plan to use the product in the future. And to remove without damage the tile that was laid on the cement mixture is unlikely to succeed.
If the base has the appearance of a strong structure, it is recommended to act roughly. The master should wear glasses, protect his hands with gloves, respiratory organs with a respirator or mask. A helmet is put on the head, and boots with metal inserts are placed on the legs. Only after that you can start work.
Dismantling procedure
At the first stage, you should turn off the wiring laid on the walls. Other communications such as sewer pipes, heated towel rails and water pipes must be protected with plywood or completely removed. If the tile on the floor will not be removed, then it is laid with several sheets of cardboard or foam.
The dismantling of the tile starts from the top row, for this in a convenient place with a chisel and hammer it is necessary to break the first product in order to get to the edges. This minimizes the risk of falling fragments. If you notice that the finish is weak, then a hammer and a chisel will be enough. The tip is set at a slight angle to the wall. But if the tile holds tightly, then it can be knocked down with a puncher with a nozzle.
It is important to remember that dismantling in the bathroom, which is separated from the bathroom only by a concrete partition, should be carried out with caution. The thickness of the tile does not exceed 40 mm, and if not careful, a crack may form. Dismantling of tiles in the bathroom can be carried out without a punch, if the finish is made of plastic. To do this, the edges are teased with a chisel, and the rest of the pieces simply come off. You can get rid of glue residues by knocking them down. Such an finish cannot be removed entirely.
Dismantling a single item
Sometimes it is not necessary to delete a complete element, but only its individual parts. In this case, damage to the adjacent finish should be excluded. Such a need arises if several tiles cracked, in which case the products must be replaced.
The seams between the tiles are cleaned of grout, and after the tile must be drilled diagonally. As soon as you have completed these manipulations, the tool mode must be switched to drilling with impact, only then you can continue to work. A chisel is installed in the holes, and with the help of a hammer you can expand the gap. Thus, it will be possible to break off individual pieces of tile.
Some recommendations for removing tiles from the floor
The dismantling of floor tiles is carried out according to the same principle as described above. If you do not need to save the products, you can use hand tools or a hammer drill with a nozzle. If there is a chisel in the arsenal, they need to hit the end, and then tap every fragment. In the case it is necessary to listen to the sounds, as soon as they become deaf, this will indicate that the tile began to move away from the floor.
You need to be especially careful in those places where pipes come out of the wall or there are fasteners on the surfaces. On electric instruments, a weak shock mode is established, if any. And when using hand tools, the master removes the chisel with a hammer on a small scale. Particular accuracy must be observed near plumbing fixtures, because objects of the sewage system are fragile.
Conclusion
If you no longer like the old tile, dismantling the m2 will cost you 60 p., Which is true if the product does not need to be stored. Otherwise, the price will increase to 100 p. per square meter. If you are not satisfied with the price, then you can do the work yourself.
For this, a metal spatula is often used , in which case a punch, a hammer and a chisel are not needed. The tool is installed in the center of the product to be broken. Then the putty knife is installed in the slot, it should be advanced as deep as possible. The working part is used as a lever, separating the tile from the floor or wall. Next, the tool is installed from the edge, this will remove layer by layer. Not every tile will be completely separated, then it is dismantled in parts.