Removing tile adhesive is one of the most difficult jobs that a do-it-yourselfer may ever have to take on. Tile adhesive is a lot like concrete, and it can be very difficult to remove once it is hard. If you are taking up existing tile to replace it with something else, you will need to thoroughly remove all of the tile adhesive to create a flat, even surface. Follow the steps below.
What you'll need
Hammer
Chisel
Electric hammer with chisel
Scraper
Power scraper
Respirator
Gloves
Goggles
Buckets
Floor grinder
Step 1 - Get Some Help
When you take on this project, you should most likely try to recruit some help. This is not a job that you want to tackle on your own if you are doing significant any amount of square footage. If you are only doing a small bathroom, you could potentially do it by yourself.
Step 2 - Preparation
This project is going to create a lot of dust. If you can wet the floor down a little bit before you start, it can help reduce the amount of dust in the air, but not all of it. Because of this, you may want to wear a respirator so that you can breathe freely during the process. You also need to wear gloves and protective goggles.
Step 3 - Hammer and Chisel
One of the ways that you can try to do this job is with a hammer and chisel. If you are doing a small area, you could do the whole thing with a regular hammer. However, if you are doing a larger area, you should most likely rent an electric hammer with a chisel. This will make the process a lot easier and save you a great deal of time.
Step 4 - Scraper
Another way that you can try to remove the adhesive is with a scraper. You could get a manual scraper blade for this job or you could rent a power scraper. Again, if you are doing a large area, go for the power scraper as it will make the job quite a bit easier.
Step 5 - Grinder
You could also choose to use a grinder for this job. You should be able to rent a floor grinder at a local tool rental store. The grinder will go in a circular motion and it will break the adhesive up off the floor. This will create a fair amount of dust.
Step 6 - Clean Up
Throughout the process, you should try to clean up as best as you can. This will create a lot of small pieces of adhesive that will have to be removed from the room. Put these pieces in large buckets so that you can carry them out after you are done with the job.
Source: www.DoItYourself.com
