Removing thinset from tile back

[blueman]

I need to clean off the thinset (and layer of plaster) from the back of tiles that I temporarily removed from our kitchen backsplash.

Any tricks-of-the-trade other than elbow grease and chisel?

Thanks

[djay]

I never heard of reusing tile. You'll break the tiles trying to get the thinset off.

[G Henslee]

Using a 4" angle grinder and carefully skimming the edge of a carborundum blade at 90o to the tile along the back will remove the t/s. Chiseling it will most likely break the tile.

[Marcus]

Hi this works well,

Use a steam wallpaper stripper, the steam will soften it and then you can just scrape it off using a wall paper scraper

Used this to "recycle" a lot of loose tiles in a kitchen and a bathroom.

[Paul Franklin]

I've used a wire brush wheel mounted on a bench grinder with good results. If you don't have one, a wire wheel chucked in an electric drill would be slower but would also work. You don't have to get every bit of old thinset off, just the bulk of it.

HTH,

Paul

[G Henslee]

Mastic maybe, but thinset mortar?

[blueman]

Well, the tiles (bull nose, hand made) are $8 a piece, so it really is worth trying...

[k]

[MattMika]

Matt

[Bobby_M]

Thinset is cement based, if water or steam gets it off, something is wrong. Mastic maybe... which is exactly why I'd like to bitch slap the guys who use it in bathrooms especially showers.

Bobby