How to Remove Tile from Concrete Floors Before Adding Coatings
Tile flooring certainly has its benefits. When properly installed and well-maintained, tiled floors are durable, relatively easy to maintain, and water-resistant. Over time, however, you might tire of the tiles that rest atop your concrete flooring – a decision made easier if said tiling has begun to show its age. Rather than invest in new tiling, you might prefer to get back to basics and restore the concrete floor underneath, complete with fresh coatings. But there’s a lot of work to be done before you can even approach the concrete coating stage, and getting rid of your current tiling is often the hardest part.
Let’s break down how to remove tile from concrete floors before adding coatings, step by step.
Gear Up
Before you get started, you’ll want to have all the right tools and personal protective equipment (PPE) on hand. Both manual and power tools will do the trick, but the latter will boost efficiency in the right hands. At the very least, you’ll want to bring a chisel and ball peen hammer for the job. A sledgehammer, air hammer, and/or heat gun may come in handy for large, tougher projects. You might also consider investing in or renting a powered grout remover to quickly clear away the dense material between tiles. Other important tools include a floor scraper, power sander, broom, vacuum, large bucket, etc. As for PPE, wear durable gloves, close-toed shoes, knee pads, properly-fitted safety goggles, ear protection, and a mask/respirator – it’s also best to cover all skin with clothing.
Prepare the Surrounding Area
Once you’ve got all the necessary resources at the ready, prepare the work area. Begin by removing any moveable objects from the tiled flooring. From there, pry off any doorstops, baseboards, or trim that will otherwise get in the way of the tile removal process. To maximize safety, make sure no one will interrupt the process once you’ve begun – you might want to place barriers around the work zone as an added precaution.
Turn Up the Heat (Gun)
There are multiple ways to approach tile removal. Concrete floor tiles come in a variety of shapes and sizes, after all, and some are easier to lift up than others. To make things easy, you might consider applying heat to the tiling via heat gun – this will soften the glue that holds the tiles in place, making it much easier to remove them one by one. If this approach is effective, make sure you scrape off any remaining adhesive and mortar after removing the tiles (you might need to apply a solvent to the glue).
Get Chiseling
Of course, applying heat to tiled flooring isn’t always an option, nor is it necessarily the most efficient method (though it is typically the cleanest). If you’re okay with making more of a mess, you’ll want to grab your hammer and chisel (or electric chiseling tool). This approach breaks apart tiles and mortar from above, loosening them via sheer impact. If the tiles are already partially loose, you can often remove large chunks of tiling with minimal effort. More stubborn tiles may need to be severely demolished, however (this produces significant amounts of dust). Whatever the case, be careful around fixed features such as toilets, pipes, and heavy equipment, as breaking apart tiles and mortar this way can damage or loosen these objects.
Clean Up the Mess
After you’ve lifted up or broken apart all the tiles covering your concrete floors, you’ll have some cleaning to do. Indeed, it might be hard to even see the concrete underneath until you’ve swept and vacuumed up all the loose debris. Ideally, after you’ve cleaned all this up, you’ll be left with a bare concrete floor that’s one step closer to coating.
Prepare the Concrete for Coating
Before you get to applying those concrete floor coatings. However, you have to make sure the concrete is in optimal condition to receive them. For starters, check the concrete for imperfections, such as cracks, divots, and bumps. Fix these issues with concrete fillers and sanding/grinding tools, so you’re left with a smooth, even surface. From there, wash the concrete with a solution of muriatic acid (one part) and water (10 parts), applying it with a soft-bristled brush and allowing it to dry. Then, mop the floor with a gentle detergent and let it dry again. Finally, your concrete floor is ready to be coated.
Time for Your Tiles to Go?
Both residential and commercial properties stand to benefit from tiled floors. However, coated concrete flooring has its advantages, too, and you might realize that this is a better option for your property. If you need help taking apart your tiling to make way for concrete coatings, reach out to Anderson Painting. We recommend and install Penntek coatings for both our residential and commercial Raleigh, NC clients. To learn more about us and all we do, call today at 919-610-1855 or email us at info@andersonpaintingnc.com!
