Tile Removal is Easy - Tile Removal South West Florida

We own a interior demolition, selective demolition removal service. We take out all kinds of flooring all over SWFL daily. 

A common misconception about tile is that the tile itself is the hard thing to get up once you get started preparing a floor for fresh tile, you will quickly find out that in most cases the tile comes up relatively easy and you find the lion-share of your work in the removing the thin-set. So it more of a two or three step operation.

There are many types of thin-set and sometimes the thin-set can have sound or moisture barriers that are put down with the tile.  Different types of thin-set come up differently, we think that the longer the thin-set has been down the harder it is to take it up, well traveled areas seem to be more difficult as well. 

Sound barriers are more frequently encountered in buildings with multiple units like condo's. We have encountered, rubber membranes, rubber and cork. Each comes up differently.

These barriers can really make taking up the tile quite a bit more fun. You see it's like taking up two different layers of materials for one thing. In some cases it can take twice as long as thin-set alone.

Bad news: most of the time the barrier was put down to knock down sound.....sound is vibration right? What does a demolition jack hammer do to get the tile and thin-set up? Right it vibrates, the barrier greatly reduces the effectiveness of most tile removal equipment. The demolition hammer vibrates really fast to separate the thin-set/ barrier from the concrete.

So...Tile removal is the easy part of getting ready for new tile. Its the thin-set / barrier's that's most of the work. 

The tile here came up in a matter of minutes it took about two hours in this room with a state of the art 30 lb. demolition hammer and 4 inch paddle.

 

Picture Below: This particular removal had cork as a barrier, it was on the third floor of a condo in Naples Florida. Cork comes up decent however its a very sticky substance to take up, and to handle.

The tool he is using is below: This room which was about 15 x 17 took about 3 hours to get up the cork. Sticky stuff.....yuck.

So when setting up to take out tile be prepared for the time it takes to take up the thin-set. Getting the actual tile up is only a small part of the whole process. 

We operate a junk removal and Selective interior removal service here in S.W. Florida called Remove It Pros Inc. http://www.RemoveItPros.com .

Author: Logan Lockwood hope you found this info helpful. 239-333-7678

The Right Tile Removal Tool ~ Make All The Difference ~ Seasone Expert Recommended Tools

Attitude is everything when you are doing tile removal...without the right tools.
I am not going to lie its a grind, it goes slow but it will work for sure. Below is the way tile has n been taken up forever.

Tile Removal can have steep costs: Having someone remove your tile can cost as much or almost as much as installing the tile.

Hammer and chisel, tried and true, 

they work great it just takes forever

 and the blisters are not fun...

Tile removal is both bothersome and time consuming, thank God for our modern tools.

We remove tile everyday. Really all types of Flooring, along with kitchens, baths and walls (and Junk). Tile removal is a big part of what we do every day.

Why am I qualified to speak about tile removal?  My name is Logan Lockwood my expertise comes from owning a company serving the the Fort Myers / Naples Marketplace, called Remove It Pros Inc. http;//www.RemoveItPros.com

Takes The Most Time: Taking up flooring makes up most of the time we spend in whole house interiors removals / demolitions. (Sometimes called selective demolition.)

When the decision is made to put in new tile, the task of getting the old tile becomes the next obstacle.

There are many ways to take up tile from the above hammer and chisel to a countless number of other ways, we have done many of them as we learned what we think is the best and fastest way to get tile up.

What we think is best:
We use a newer style of jack hammer called an inline demolition hammer or demolition hammer depending on the brand name you are using. They weigh any where from 25 lbs to 37 lbs without the bit. This is a picture of one of ours:

Below Picture. Most rental places (in our limited experience) use a different style than above, they work, however they have you bending over in a strange angle which really tweaks your back.
Below Picture, we have used many different brands, we have burned out many of this style (various brands), for this reason we are surprised that this the most common style of hammer they rent for tile removal. (From our experience.)

This type has you bending over in an awkward angle.

Below Picture, we have used many brands and the jury is still out on which is best (they tend to last a few months before going out, yes even new ones, at a cost of $800 - $1150 each, this is costly.)

Also pictured one style of the specialty bits we use.

This particular demolition hammer

is designed to minimize the

vibration the operator will feel.

Jury is still out on this one 

(It has lasted 8 or so months so far. Durable and effective so far.)

Note:

This specialty bit can make a

difficult removal so much

 more tolerable, 

when used with an

 inline demolition hammer 

it allows the operator to

 stand almost straight up.

No matter who does the tile removal its very hard even with the best tools. 

Ride on machines.......

(I know some of you are thinking about those new machines that take it up. They are sexy (and Expensive), there is still a lot of work you will need to do so a smaller hammer will still be needed. Examples: Closets/ Bathrooms Lots of Kitchens. 

A Story about A Ride On Tile Removal Machine.

We were working in a Naples Fl. high rise, when another contractor brought one of these machines in, the manager of the building was unhappy with it going up the elevator, the marks it left on the hallway tile, the chips it left on the edge of the tile that was not being removed and apparently the manager was overheard complaining that the operator backed into a wall and it crushed the drywall. (I am looking into one of these machines but for large commercial jobs.)  

What we recommend: 

Not so much this brand but this 

style of inline demolition

 machine and this type bit.

So to sum it up it you are going to take up tile, getting an inline demolition hammer and this longer type bit with a replaceable flexible steel blade can save you load of time and make a terrible experience into a just difficult experience....lol.

And it you want to have someone else do it, and you are in SWFL, we will do an excellent job for you. Our pricing is affordable and we are professional and fast. No need for a dumpster. We take our debris with us as we take it out. Call Dave at 239-333-7678 Remove It Pros Inc. http;//www.RemoveItPros.com