How To Remove Ceramic Tile Adhesive From Concrete

Use multiple passes to remove the mortar.

How to remove ceramic tile adhesive from concrete.

Masonry chisel and a 2 lb. The handle is long enough so you get good leverage to scrape with. Some common products can easily remove mastic from the concrete floor without using chemicals. Mastic is not water resistant and it will dissolve and disintegrate when in contact with water.

Work the chisel under the tiles forcing them loose. In some cases the only way to tear out the ceramic tile is with heavy equipment such as a jackhammer or air chisel. Chip the grout along the grout lines use a ball peen or masonry hammer and cold chisel to tap the pieces free. We always start with these first when we remove adhesives from concrete.

Make sure you get plenty of extra razor blades they get dull fairly quickly. Start at a broken tile or between tiles where the grout has loosened. Follow the instructions on the bottle and allow the adhesive to soften. Work the chisel between the tiles and the concrete hammering them up with a 2 lb.

You can further soften these sections with a non smelling chemical adhesive remover. Scrape off as much as you can. To do that you will need that hammer we talked about. Removing tile from concrete will require you to use your strength to the fullest because you have to knock the tiles out instead of them coming out without any real force.

Strike the face of stubborn tiles to break them up for easier removal. Remember mastic is soluble in water. Simply soak up a lot of absorbent cloths or paper towels in water and cover the mastic with them. This material used asbestos which is quite hard and potentially dangerous to remove from any concrete base.

On the third pass remove these hard remnants reducing all the mortar to dust. To be specific you should use 2 lb maul. Another round of mopping should remove the remaining glue. We use floor razor scrapers to remove the tiles carpet and the black glue on the concrete.

Use the second pass to remove the majority of the mortar leaving only the hardest remnants on the surface of the concrete. Graze with a sharp blade. First things first you need to work the chisel that connects the tiles and concrete. To remove excess mastic after the tiles have been removed soak several cloths in water and lay them.

So removing it is going to involve a lot of water. Some lubricants can also be very helpful. So where do you start hammering up the tiles. Use chemical adhesive remover.

Some adhesive will stick to the concrete even after mopping. Always wear safety glasses when removing ceramic tile. The mastic will soften making it easier to remove with a scraper. In the past some professionals were using the so called cutback mastic adhesive to hold tiles.

Use a 3 4 or 1 in.