The B*****D Tiles wont come off!!

[virtual-marmite]

I am hoping I might be able to find help here I have just moved into an old Victorian house with a 1950's extention The tiles need to come off for fitting a new shower and just general updating to Ano domini type feeling. Whilst we do no not wish to keep the tiles some of them are of a variety I have never seen such as ashtrays and hooks made from ceramic. The tiles are about half an inch thich (yes that much) and are held on by a grout that could hold the empire state building on a horizontal plane The tiling was obviously done by an expert with a uniform 1mm gap between each tile I have hammered, chisseld, smacked with a centre punch, drilled and all to no avail So far all I have done is broken off half a tile has anyone got any ideas how to get the F*****g things off??

 

[Muzungo]

Here's a few things that worked for me :

- bolster chisel and a 2lb club hammer.

- Heat gun. Yup, heating the adhesive should weaken it.

- SDS Hammer, with roto-stop, and a spade bit. Be careful. Those things have the power of a vengeful god - point them at something, and PFRRRRRT - its gone. You'll be staring at your neighbours' living room if you're heavy on the trigger. If they still don't come off, they're not tiles - they're tank armour.

 

[TexMex]

If you're messing with things like a centre punch, you're obviously being too nancy with them. Just smack them with a club hammer, If they don't fall to pieces, you're just not hitting them hard enough.

 

[2scoops0406]

Here's a few things that worked for me :

- bolster chisel and a 2lb club hammer.

- Heat gun. Yup, heating the adhesive should weaken it.

- SDS Hammer, with roto-stop, and a spade bit. Be careful. Those things have the power of a vengeful god - point them at something, and PFRRRRRT - its gone. You'll be staring at your neighbours' living room if you're heavy on the trigger. If they still don't come off, they're not tiles - they're tank armour.

Also wear some good protection (gauntlets, not condoms!) It like letting off shrapnel grenade after shrapnel grenade when using an SDS hammer, death by a billion cuts.

 

[virtual-marmite]

Cheers for the ideas, I forgot to mention the half hour with a steamer and sponge . All I have been doing is to get a spot open to attack the rest of the tiles in a kind of classic millitary pincer movement. I will keep an eye out (scuse the pun) for the shrapnel effect as I already have a large cut just under the left nipple . It would seem that smacking a damaged tile whilst semi naked through heat of effort is not a good idea . The club hammer whilst appealing just for wreaking revenge is good, but I am going to try a sort of mini jack hammer thing. But please don't fret.....I promise I will wave at the new next door neighbours when I emerge the other side of the wall in true Count of Monte Christo type fashion and the ashtray style tiles have proved useful in between drags

 

[virtual-marmite]

P.S. Sorry lads for being a nancy half a day to break 3/4 of a tile is embarrassing even for me we do have a club hammer, but the bolster chisel got lost in the move just having forked out 15 grand on a new kitchen and bathroom I am feeling tighter than a new in-mate at a high security prison who is about to learn about the phrase hostile entry but I am now seriously P****d off so no expense shall be worried about Also on recomendation I have contacted Vickers who have a armaments factory here in telford, and let them know that I have a new type of armour plating that is imperviuse even to friendly fire from the yanks

Will keep you informed how its all going

 

[2scoops0406]

You can get an SDS plus hammer with roto stop for under £40 at screwfix, not sure how much the tile removing chisel is (about £20 I think). It's not the finest SDS in the world, but it'll probably take your tiles off, and is quite probably cheaper to buy than to hire. NOTE the shrapnel though, saftey glasses, gauntlets etc. No doing it semi naked (ooh err!).

 

[david and julie]

You will find it lighter on your arms if you work from the top downwards, that way the tiles hold the weight of the drill. Another bonus is you are then further from the chisel and hence the shrapnel.

Small point I know but if you haven't done it before you may not know.

 

[Leeds spark]

Ive had this before,turned out that tiles were bedded directly onto 1/2" sand/cement mix rendered on.Only way wasto make hole in backing and take the whole lot of,eg chisel behind sand/scement.Came away quite cleanly,then just dot n dab plasterboards back.Much much easier,and certainly quicker.

 

[turnerfeck]

Here is what I did with my 1930's 12 foot thick cemented black and wihte rectangle tiles....and very simple, without "death by a million tile shards!

After picking out a piece of tile out of my toe, that went thro my trainers!, and bled for 2 weeks.....I went to my local wood yard. Purchase lots of tongue and groove. Baton it on to the tiles. Top with a rail. Varnish, and enjoy

 

[JayG]

Had the same thing in the old house here, belted the lot off with a lump hammer and a bolster (mainly hammer), then looked like a reject from a horror film due to all the cuts I had from the broken tiles

 

[billybuild]

try just knocking off high points then dot and dab walls with plasterboard

 

[wickerman]

try a double barrelled 12 bore loaded with buck shot makes a terrible mess but garenteed great fun