A lot of good info! We are in the process of pulling up old tile and trying to get all of the thinset off without busting up the concrete. It feels like a losing battle and a lot of hard work, but hopefully worth it in the end.
I started tile demo with a hammer scraper from Harbor Freight. Its working but I need more HP. Hammer drill might be the answer. I may just hire it out and let someone else do the work.
Thanks for the helpful video. I started off with an air hammer but the compressor was very loud always coming on and I was wearing earplugs but still probably not very good? i’m torn between using a hammer drill and a demolition hammer? Paying a couple hundred bucks and just buying a decent hammer drill or renting the demolition hammer for similar money? Thanks again for the video.
I have a 140sqft kitchen that i need to remove the tile which was layed on wonderboard which Iam leaving down, whats the difference between a rotary hammer and a demolition hammer?. Great video you two, thank you for sharing your exoerience!.
Size, power, and the demo hammer doesn't spin. The demo hammer you can basically stand up and run. You can also run a 6" wide chisel vs 3 with the rotary hammer. The rotary hammer is like a normal hammer drill but has the ability to turn off the spinning part so it only hammers. It's better for tight spaces. The demo hammer is better for large rooms. If you haven't watched it yet, we have a vlog video that shows us ripping our tile out. We use both in that video.
@@DebtFreeDIY Thank you very much for the insight, your help cleared up alot of confusion, I think I can get away with just the Demo hammer being I have no tight spaces to worry about, and it just so happens my local HD has several available. Thank you very much once again, I'am definately going to save your channel for future reference! Take care!!!🇺🇸✌
I just purchased a condo and immediately started demoing tile, about 800 sq ft of it. Rented the demo hammer for $80 for 5 hours and completed all demo off the tile. The thinset was the labor inducing part and after trial and error, I can confirm just get an angle grinder, a good diamond blade grinding wheel, a dust shroud, a shop vac, some good knee pads, noise cancelling headphones with music, patience and the foundation will eventually be flat lol.
Thanks for the good video & helpful tips! I couldn't tell from the video, but was there floor tile under the cabinets? (ie, Was the original tile laid first, then the cabinets installed on top?) Did you just demo up to the cabinet face / toe board? I'm looking at a similar project for my kitchen & am trying to gauge the effort level.
Hi Ken! Demo hammer for sure with the wide chisel. Especially if you have a large area. If it's a small area (like a small bathroom or powder room) rotary might be better because even though it would be a little slower, it will get into smaller, tighter spaces. We have a previous vlog video showing both in action. If you haven't caught that, it might help you see the difference. If we can be of any other help, don't hesitate to reach out!
@@DebtFreeDIY Thanks for the super fast response. Most of the area I have is open so I think I will go with the demo hammer. Wasn't sure if you tried the larger bit on the rotary hammer. The bigger bit makes sense, just didn't know if it was a big power difference that makes any difference. I'll look for your other video.
@@kendavis8557 yes the demo hammer bit was about 6 inches wide where the biggest I had for the rotary hammer drill was about 3. That demo hammer makes quick work of it and with a large area it is definitely a the clear winner. It's big and heavy though! 😆
Hi Gil! We removed the fridge but actually left the tile under our stove. We just squared it off so it didn't look out of place when the stove was back in place.
You know, we had a fruit tree sprayer with water and tried this when we started the thinset removal and while it did keep the dust down, I found it hard to tell the difference between the thinset and concrete and know when I had it pulled up adequately. I totally think it could have just been my aging eyes though. 🤣 However, for some, this may be a viable solution so thanks for mentioning it! 😊
Make sure to use a fuller size shop vac with a dust shroud. Don't just use a battery operated vacuum, since it just doesn't have the capacity. That was my mistake!
You went about it all wrong. Dust - flood the tile floor with water. You won't get any dust because it will stay on the ground as mud. Demo hammer and rotary hammer - no good because they break up the tile into too many pieces and leave too much thinset intact. A jackhammer with a 1.5 inch spade bit is what you need. Hold it at a slight angle and the smaller bit will lift up huge areas of tile with thinset without breaking it into small pieces. A great jackhammer is a Vevor jackhammer which will cost you $170, including free two day shipping, two bits, gloves, eye protection, oil, dust mask all included for the $170. Have either a crowbar or chisel, with a hammer for very small areas in very tight places. Finally, a wet vacuum.
"All wrong" seems a bit hyperbolic. I actually did all of that except the jackhammer. I didn't like the water method . It made it too hard for me to discern where the thinset ended and the foundation started. That's why I ditched the water flooding method... I kept digging beyond the thinset because the water made them both indistinguishable while removing thinset. I've used a jackhammer before and cannot imagine running a jackhammer over that entire space plus it seems way overkill. I use it for breaking concrete foundations to move pipes etc . The one I used was 3x the size of the demo hammer and the demo hammer was twice the size of the rotary hammer drill. So for me the demo hammer with the big 6 inch spade bit worked like a champ and was a good middle ground ... It's just not for the faint of heart. I've also found that it definitely depends on how well your tile was adhered. My cousin removed his with a big 6 foot flat bar by hand. His whole kitchen. That's how I started and there was not a chance in the world that that method was going to work for my house.
1. Eight minute video that could have been three. 2 . This couple showed video and commentary of their experience of removing ceramic tile from their home. They elaborately, thoroughly, and entirely explained and then reiterated their tips. They even provided adequate air in the conversation. Very easy video to watch on your computer while you scroll on your phone. The outtakes at the end saved me so much time. Followed by their requests to add like and share. Did you prefer to read 1 or 2?
To avoid the dust wet all areas you are demoing to t reduce dust and put demo trash in your trash cans a little at at time you are allready paying trash service get you money worth out of that just do not exceed 300 pounds then use you nice neighbors cans and get that task done sooner another idea buy roto hammer and tips after use sell it get most of your money back
Tile and Thinset Removal from Concrete Floor | Home Renovation Vlog - th-cam.com/video/NzxHzX8_rt0/w-d-xo.html
This was so good! Very helpful! Thank you for sharing! Cash is king! Love it!
This info was incredibly helpful to me! Thank you so much for sharing
You're welcome!
Great tips!!! TY! We have a very large kitchen eating area demo ahead of us!
You're welcome! Good luck!
You guys are awesome! Thanks for making this video. Love the bloopers at the end too!
Great advice. We live in Western Australia, but it’s all relevant.
So thank you for your video
Love this. Very helpful!
Thank you! Glad it helped!
Great advice!
Great information to have before you start.
Thanks so much! There was definitely a lot to learn (the hard way)! 😂
Thank you for the great tips❤❤❤
Thanks for your words of wisdom! Looks like y0u achieved amazing results!
A lot of good info! We are in the process of pulling up old tile and trying to get all of the thinset off without busting up the concrete. It feels like a losing battle and a lot of hard work, but hopefully worth it in the end.
I started tile demo with a hammer scraper from Harbor Freight. Its working but I need more HP. Hammer drill might be the answer. I may just hire it out and let someone else do the work.
Thank you very informative. Love the part when your son throws the dustpan in slow mo. Haha
You're welcome! He's a hoot! 😂 Thanks for watching!
Great job, Love the work you did. I think you all convinced me to hire someone!!
Thanks for the helpful video. I started off with an air hammer but the compressor was very loud always coming on and I was wearing earplugs but still probably not very good? i’m torn between using a hammer drill and a demolition hammer? Paying a couple hundred bucks and just buying a decent hammer drill or renting the demolition hammer for similar money? Thanks again for the video.
If you've got a big space, the demo hammer is by far faster. Just super heavy
Great video!! Thanks !!
Thanks for watching! 😊
I have a 140sqft kitchen that i need to remove the tile which was layed on wonderboard which Iam leaving down, whats the difference between a rotary hammer and a demolition hammer?.
Great video you two, thank you for sharing your exoerience!.
Size, power, and the demo hammer doesn't spin. The demo hammer you can basically stand up and run. You can also run a 6" wide chisel vs 3 with the rotary hammer. The rotary hammer is like a normal hammer drill but has the ability to turn off the spinning part so it only hammers. It's better for tight spaces. The demo hammer is better for large rooms. If you haven't watched it yet, we have a vlog video that shows us ripping our tile out. We use both in that video.
@@DebtFreeDIY Thank you very much for the insight, your help cleared up alot of confusion, I think I can get away with just the Demo hammer being I have no tight spaces to worry about, and it just so happens my local HD has several available.
Thank you very much once again, I'am definately going to save your channel for future reference! Take care!!!🇺🇸✌
@@ericdee6802 no problem! Glad to help!
I just purchased a condo and immediately started demoing tile, about 800 sq ft of it. Rented the demo hammer for $80 for 5 hours and completed all demo off the tile.
The thinset was the labor inducing part and after trial and error, I can confirm just get an angle grinder, a good diamond blade grinding wheel, a dust shroud, a shop vac, some good knee pads, noise cancelling headphones with music, patience and the foundation will eventually be flat lol.
Love it! Good work! 👊
Thanks for the good video & helpful tips! I couldn't tell from the video, but was there floor tile under the cabinets? (ie, Was the original tile laid first, then the cabinets installed on top?) Did you just demo up to the cabinet face / toe board? I'm looking at a similar project for my kitchen & am trying to gauge the effort level.
So our tile stopped at the cabinets. Let us know if you need anything else.
Did you use any type of cleaners for the dust clean up?
We did not. Mainly just mopped the floors A LOT
Very helpful. Thank you.
You're welcome Tom. Thanks for the kind words.
Using sm-med cardboard boxes for old tiles is perfect. Can be dumped at local landfill.
How do you fix cane chairs?
Do you have to 100% remove all thinset from concrete floor before tiling or just grind it down as smooth as possible?
We removed all the thinset and then our tile guy used the grinder on the floor before tile. So I'd say both
Love it
Thanks so much Jamie! 😊
another tip for the debris: Ask your local liquor store for boxes. They are very sturdy, free, and a good size so they don't get too heavy.
Also, wetting thinset & let sit for 5 minutes before removal cuts down dust a lot
Which worked better over all for the thinset removal...the rotary hammer drill or the demo hammer.
Hi Ken! Demo hammer for sure with the wide chisel. Especially if you have a large area. If it's a small area (like a small bathroom or powder room) rotary might be better because even though it would be a little slower, it will get into smaller, tighter spaces. We have a previous vlog video showing both in action. If you haven't caught that, it might help you see the difference. If we can be of any other help, don't hesitate to reach out!
@@DebtFreeDIY Thanks for the super fast response. Most of the area I have is open so I think I will go with the demo hammer. Wasn't sure if you tried the larger bit on the rotary hammer. The bigger bit makes sense, just didn't know if it was a big power difference that makes any difference. I'll look for your other video.
@@kendavis8557 yes the demo hammer bit was about 6 inches wide where the biggest I had for the rotary hammer drill was about 3. That demo hammer makes quick work of it and with a large area it is definitely a the clear winner. It's big and heavy though! 😆
@@DebtFreeDIY Awesome. Thanks. Definitely going with the demo hammer.
@@kendavis8557 for what it's worth, I pinned that video in the comments here.
We have to remove the old mortar before installing new tile right? There is no way out or is it
Yes that's correct. A demo hammer helps to get that thinset loose too. You can rent one at a home depot.
Did you remove the fridge and stove or did you just work around it,
Hi Gil! We removed the fridge but actually left the tile under our stove. We just squared it off so it didn't look out of place when the stove was back in place.
@@DebtFreeDIY awesome, Thank you 👍
Shoulda phoned a friend!! 😁
100% we should have! 😊
Grinder to get rid of thinset, attached to a good shop vac. Garbage cans will hold over 300 pounds
Ty for this!!! We have about 1500sqft of tile to remove and to hire someone it will be a fortune….
You're welcome!
It's just HARD work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!😆
Lightly brush some water down as you’re breaking tile/thinset up to keep some of the dust on the floor instead of in the air!
You know, we had a fruit tree sprayer with water and tried this when we started the thinset removal and while it did keep the dust down, I found it hard to tell the difference between the thinset and concrete and know when I had it pulled up adequately. I totally think it could have just been my aging eyes though. 🤣 However, for some, this may be a viable solution so thanks for mentioning it! 😊
Make sure to use a fuller size shop vac with a dust shroud. Don't just use a battery operated vacuum, since it just doesn't have the capacity. That was my mistake!
You went about it all wrong. Dust - flood the tile floor with water. You won't get any dust because it will stay on the ground as mud. Demo hammer and rotary hammer - no good because they break up the tile into too many pieces and leave too much thinset intact. A jackhammer with a 1.5 inch spade bit is what you need. Hold it at a slight angle and the smaller bit will lift up huge areas of tile with thinset without breaking it into small pieces. A great jackhammer is a Vevor jackhammer which will cost you $170, including free two day shipping, two bits, gloves, eye protection, oil, dust mask all included for the $170. Have either a crowbar or chisel, with a hammer for very small areas in very tight places. Finally, a wet vacuum.
"All wrong" seems a bit hyperbolic. I actually did all of that except the jackhammer. I didn't like the water method . It made it too hard for me to discern where the thinset ended and the foundation started. That's why I ditched the water flooding method... I kept digging beyond the thinset because the water made them both indistinguishable while removing thinset. I've used a jackhammer before and cannot imagine running a jackhammer over that entire space plus it seems way overkill. I use it for breaking concrete foundations to move pipes etc . The one I used was 3x the size of the demo hammer and the demo hammer was twice the size of the rotary hammer drill. So for me the demo hammer with the big 6 inch spade bit worked like a champ and was a good middle ground ... It's just not for the faint of heart. I've also found that it definitely depends on how well your tile was adhered. My cousin removed his with a big 6 foot flat bar by hand. His whole kitchen. That's how I started and there was not a chance in the world that that method was going to work for my house.
1. Eight minute video that could have been three.
2 . This couple showed video and commentary of their experience of removing ceramic tile from their home. They elaborately, thoroughly, and entirely explained and then reiterated their tips. They even provided adequate air in the conversation. Very easy video to watch on your computer while you scroll on your phone. The outtakes at the end saved me so much time. Followed by their requests to add like and share.
Did you prefer to read 1 or 2?
To avoid the dust wet all areas you are demoing to t reduce dust and put demo trash in your trash cans a little at at time you are allready paying trash service get you money worth out of that just do not exceed 300 pounds then use you nice neighbors cans and get that task done sooner another idea buy roto hammer and tips after use sell it get most of your money back
You made way bigger of a mess than necessary.
Highly productive comment without you giving the “why” you think this is true. Smh