Hi all
I have spent today ripping up my ceramic-tiled kitchen floor. Oh my god. I had no idea it would be so hard. I had a huge hammer and two new sharp cold chisels, but it still took me all day (room is about 3.25m x 2.5m). I am absolutely cream crackered!!!!
The surface which was revealed is concrete. I live in a small block of flats that was built in 1987. It's fairly smooth (for concrete) and there doesn't appear to be any evidence of a self levelling compound left behind.
I am laying natural slate tiles and will also probably be putting in under-floor heating (prolly won't use it, but good to have as an option). If there are no huge discrepancies in the height of the surface, is it safe to spread the adhesive and lay the new tiles straight onto the concrete?
I am also thinking ahead in the sense that in 5-or-so years' time I don't want to have to go through what I went through today. Are there any 'easy to remove' adhesives? The main trouble I encountered was that a lot of the old adhesive stuck to the concrete better than the tile. This meant that when I ripped up a tile (or more likely a small tiny piece), a lot of adhesive was left on the concrete. I still have to go over the floor to give it the once over, removing any small bits of adhesive left behind (that's if I don't self-level it, I guess?).
Am I over simplifying things by thinking that the tiles don't need to be stuck down to the floor with Herculean strength? After all, the concrete floor isn't going anywhere, it's part of the structure of the flat!
I was thinking that a low strength adhesive and grout would be more than enough to keep the tiles in position. It's got gravity on its side! (unlike the walls).
Thanks for your time in helping me complete my first ever bit of floor tiling in my first home!
Stu
I have spent today ripping up my ceramic-tiled kitchen floor. Oh my god. I had no idea it would be so hard. I had a huge hammer and two new sharp cold chisels, but it still took me all day (room is about 3.25m x 2.5m). I am absolutely cream crackered!!!!
The surface which was revealed is concrete. I live in a small block of flats that was built in 1987. It's fairly smooth (for concrete) and there doesn't appear to be any evidence of a self levelling compound left behind.
I am laying natural slate tiles and will also probably be putting in under-floor heating (prolly won't use it, but good to have as an option). If there are no huge discrepancies in the height of the surface, is it safe to spread the adhesive and lay the new tiles straight onto the concrete?
I am also thinking ahead in the sense that in 5-or-so years' time I don't want to have to go through what I went through today. Are there any 'easy to remove' adhesives? The main trouble I encountered was that a lot of the old adhesive stuck to the concrete better than the tile. This meant that when I ripped up a tile (or more likely a small tiny piece), a lot of adhesive was left on the concrete. I still have to go over the floor to give it the once over, removing any small bits of adhesive left behind (that's if I don't self-level it, I guess?).
Am I over simplifying things by thinking that the tiles don't need to be stuck down to the floor with Herculean strength? After all, the concrete floor isn't going anywhere, it's part of the structure of the flat!
I was thinking that a low strength adhesive and grout would be more than enough to keep the tiles in position. It's got gravity on its side! (unlike the walls).
Thanks for your time in helping me complete my first ever bit of floor tiling in my first home!
Stu
