[Delvia Carter]

My name is Delvia and Im kinda new to remodeling. Right now Im doing a bathroom in a older house that has that 4" concrete slab floor.At first I was just going to remove the tile and use some self leveling cement, but Im have troube removing the tile. Meaning everytime I try the concrete cracks with the tile. I was wondering how hard is it to just pull up all the concrete and just redo the whole floor? Please let me know if you have advice that will help me.

 

[Trucon01]

How big of a floor is this?

 

[Delvia Carter]

Its a small bathroom about 40sf

 

[joecaption]

What are you using to try and remove the tile?

 

[Delvia Carter]

I was using a sharp edge chisel and a hammer

 

[joecaption]

A whole lot faster if you use one of these.
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q...14F48008DB463C92AC061CD7AD04A&selectedIndex=0

You can rent one from Home Depot. They may have a Hilti brand but it sure would be a whole lot faster.
Pretty big job to totaly remove all the old concrete and start over.

 

[Delvia Carter]

Thanks for the advice

 

[oh'mike]

Post some pictures if you can-----are you sure that the concrete is cracking?
Could it be a coating of self leveling compound on top of the concrete floor?

Breaking up a floor is possible----but so seldom needed that I think we should see what is going on before you rent a jack hammer----

 

[NestHI]

I have run into this before. What I did was removed the old subfloor since it was so brittle. Once removed I rebuilt subfloor with Durock cement board and then retiled. Since it is a small area, not so difficult to do.

 

[oh'mike]

Nest----I think the OP has a slab----so no subfloor----thus no Durrock could be used for repair---

 

[NestHI]

Nest----I think the OP has a slab----so no subfloor----thus no Durrock could be used for repair---

Thanks. I didn't see that

 

[Delvia Carter]

okay, oh' mike, here are some pictures maybe they will you a better visual of what Im up agaisnt..

 

[oh'mike]

I see old floor joists----right?

Is this a 1900--1930s vintage house? If I am seeing this right--you have a real recessed mud set---

framed floors---wood ledgers nailed about five inches below the top of the joists--then wood 'sub floor' then 4 inches of deck mud packed between the floor joists?

Let us know----if I am wrong and you have a slab on grade---(soil/gravel/with concrete on top) the repair will be different.

 

[Delvia Carter]

Think its the slab on grade. I dont see no wood subfloor under. Here are a few more pics.

 

[NestHI]

Probably easier to remove it all and start from scratch.

 

[Delvia Carter]

Thanks for the help guys, and oh mike you was right it was framed floors. Someone just cut a nice part out of the wood below the concrete for the plumbing. After a little thought I just went ahead a removed it all. And Im kinna glad I did becuase I found some floor joist the needed repairing.

 

[Delvia Carter]

Tile floors

Is it better to put the toilet in before or after you put down ceramic tile?? Or does it matter

 

[joecaption]

Tile goes in first always.
You never use any form of flooring around a toilet, always under it.