Removing Thinset Mortar From Concrete Floor

Today we learn how to take thinset off the floor with a nifty contraption i made.

Removing thinset mortar from concrete floor.

Thinset is used to install tile to concrete while adhesives and epoxies are used to install tile to wood subfloors. However if the subfloor is plywood you ll probably have better luck with a hammer drill or demolition hammer with a scraper tool attached. Removing this mortar after removing the tiles can be a labor intensive messy process. It is usually used to attach tile to cement.

The mortar used to install ceramic tiles creates a fast and strong bond between the tiles and the installation surface. I did tons of research online and read a bunch of forums and everything i read said to rent a chipping hammer with a scraper attachment so thats exactly what we did. Which meant removing tile and thinset from the concrete foundation. Once dry the mortar turns into a material that s as hard as concrete.

After the old tiles were removed there were still large areas of thinset stuck to the concrete that were obviously not level. The thinset on the floor. Mortar is a cement based paste that is used for binding building materials like bricks tiles and stones. This was difficult and dusty but it was definitely a diy able task.

Removing mortar from concrete slab floor can be tricky. Thank goodness for my good friend chelsey who loves doing demo and is willing to get dirty and work hard in exchange for a good meal cooked by chef powell. Thinset is an adhesive mortar made of cement fine sand and a water retaining agent. Since i m putting down new large sized floor tiles getting the old tiles off was just the first step.

If the subfloor is concrete you can take off the thinset with a floor maintainer and a concrete coating removal tool such as a diamabrush disk. Put on protective eye wear. But if you pull up old tiles it may be something you will have to contend with. It is usually used to attach tile to cement.

Yet when you need to remove it it can be a nightmare.