Tiled floor removal

[cf-leeds]

I'm currently taking up the tiled floor in the kitchen and it's turning int o quite a struggle. I need to get back to the T&G plank below the tiles and sub-layer of ply-board.

I've removed all the ceramic tiles with a chisel and I'm left with a layer of screwed down ply, mostly covered in cement - fitted by myself many years ago. The ply underneath seems to be in 3 main sections and there's a lot o f screws holding it in place.

After a days toil today, I have managed to almost complete the removal of o ne of the ply panels, which meant locating screws, cleaning the screw head and unscrewing. Every time, I think I've done and try to lever up the ply p anel, there's something stopping it coming up, and I keep locating further hidden screws that need to be removed :(

Seems that as long as there's one more hidden screw remaining, the ply won' t budge, so I've now decided to get a saw and cut the plywood into smaller squares while still screwed down. I'll then remove a small square of ply at a time.

Can anyone recommend a saw tool, that will allow me to cut to a 12mm depth into the ply without cutting into the T&G floorboards below? Hopefully, I c an then remove the ply-board a small piece at a time.

I have a multi-saw that cuts well with the oscillating saw disk, but it has no depth setting, so is really no good for this job.

Thanks

cf

[The Natural Philosopher]

Any hand circular saw will have depth adjustment

[cf-leeds]

into quite a struggle. I need to get back to the T&G plank below the tiles and sub-layer of ply-board.

yer of screwed down ply, mostly covered in cement - fitted by myself many y ears ago. The ply underneath seems to be in 3 main sections and there's a l ot of screws holding it in place.

of one of the ply panels, which meant locating screws, cleaning the screw h ead and unscrewing. Every time, I think I've done and try to lever up the p ly panel, there's something stopping it coming up, and I keep locating furt her hidden screws that need to be removed :(

won't budge, so I've now decided to get a saw and cut the plywood into smal ler squares while still screwed down. I'll then remove a small square of pl y at a time.

pth into the ply without cutting into the T&G floorboards below? Hopefully, I can then remove the ply-board a small piece at a time.

has no depth setting, so is really no good for this job.

Thanks - That's exactly what I need. I just didn't know the name of it.

cf

[John Rumm]

If you use a strong Magnet (or metal detector) to find the screws, and then a small hole saw to cut round the heads, you should the be able to free the ply, and leave screws that you can grab with mole grips to save needing to clean each and every head.

Depending on what is going back on the floor, you might also be able to use a slater's "rip" once you have an exposed edge - slide it under the ply, and snag then cut the screws.

Circular saw would seem the obvious option. Although get a cheap sacrificial blade for it, since it won't thank you for the tile cement!

You could probably fashion some kind of depth limit = have a look at the depth stop as used on some multimasters.

[tabbypurr]

into quite a struggle. I need to get back to the T&G plank below the tiles and sub-layer of ply-board.

yer of screwed down ply, mostly covered in cement - fitted by myself many y ears ago. The ply underneath seems to be in 3 main sections and there's a l ot of screws holding it in place.

of one of the ply panels, which meant locating screws, cleaning the screw h ead and unscrewing. Every time, I think I've done and try to lever up the p ly panel, there's something stopping it coming up, and I keep locating furt her hidden screws that need to be removed :(

won't budge, so I've now decided to get a saw and cut the plywood into smal ler squares while still screwed down. I'll then remove a small square of pl y at a time.

pth into the ply without cutting into the T&G floorboards below? Hopefully, I can then remove the ply-board a small piece at a time.

has no depth setting, so is really no good for this job.

it would be slow going & the blades are only steel so don't last very well. A circular is many times faster.

NT

[cf-leeds]

into quite a struggle. I need to get back to the T&G plank below the tiles and sub-layer of ply-board.

yer of screwed down ply, mostly covered in cement - fitted by myself many y ears ago. The ply underneath seems to be in 3 main sections and there's a l ot of screws holding it in place.

of one of the ply panels, which meant locating screws, cleaning the screw h ead and unscrewing. Every time, I think I've done and try to lever up the p ly panel, there's something stopping it coming up, and I keep locating furt her hidden screws that need to be removed :(

won't budge, so I've now decided to get a saw and cut the plywood into smal ler squares while still screwed down. I'll then remove a small square of pl y at a time.

pth into the ply without cutting into the T&G floorboards below? Hopefully, I can then remove the ply-board a small piece at a time.

has no depth setting, so is really no good for this job.

========================= ================\

========================= ================/

Thanks for the magnet tip.

I have salvaged a magnet from an old door catch and given it a try. It seem s a reliable way to locate the screws.

cf

[Dave Liquorice]

That would be my prefered option. With a bit of luck the bit of ply left around the screws will grip them enough to be used to unscrew them.

Or once the screw is located use a screw extractor rather than a proper driver bit. That ought to be able to cut the clogging tile adhesive and get a good grip in the screw head. Probably better with cross head screws than slotted.

I don't think that'll be very quick. A slaters rip is that, it rips the nails out of the lath and through the slate rather than cutting the nail. It'll sometimes cut a really stuburn nail but not without a lot of whacking with a hammer.

[John Rumm]

old hard drives are also a good source of powerful magnets if you don't mind them being odd shapes.

[cf-leeds]

nto quite a struggle. I need to get back to the T&G plank below the tiles a nd sub-layer of ply-board.

r of screwed down ply, mostly covered in cement - fitted by myself many yea rs ago. The ply underneath seems to be in 3 main sections and there's a lot of screws holding it in place.

one of the ply panels, which meant locating screws, cleaning the screw hea d and unscrewing. Every time, I think I've done and try to lever up the ply panel, there's something stopping it coming up, and I keep locating furthe r hidden screws that need to be removed :(

n't budge, so I've now decided to get a saw and cut the plywood into smalle r squares while still screwed down. I'll then remove a small square of ply at a time.

h into the ply without cutting into the T&G floorboards below? Hopefully, I can then remove the ply-board a small piece at a time.

as no depth setting, so is really no good for this job.

Just thought I'd add an update, now I've finished the job and got up all th e cement covered ply wood.

The most efficient method I found was:

1. Locate screw with a magnet
2. Scrape away the cement with hammer and sacrificial wood chisel to reveal a clean screw head.
3. Clean screw head out with the point of a flat wood hole cutter - perfect tool for that job. Doesn't take long at all.
4. Unscrew the screw with battery drill
5. Repeat until all are removed

This is certainly a job for the tenacious, but actually doesn't take long, once you get into a rhythm.

Several people who I asked just said to use a wrecking bar to prize up the screwed down ply-wood - ever tried to do that ? A job for the bionic man an d with a matrix of screws spaced at 15cm, forget it.

Mole grips come in handy when there was the odd screw that wouldn't coopera te, but I think that using mole grips on the whole floor would have definit ely taken longer.

Thanks x 1000 once again to the person who suggested using a magnet to loca te the screw. So obvious when you think about it, but not obvious enough fo r me ;)

[tabbypurr]

into quite a struggle. I need to get back to the T&G plank below the tiles and sub-layer of ply-board.

yer of screwed down ply, mostly covered in cement - fitted by myself many y ears ago. The ply underneath seems to be in 3 main sections and there's a l ot of screws holding it in place.

of one of the ply panels, which meant locating screws, cleaning the screw h ead and unscrewing. Every time, I think I've done and try to lever up the p ly panel, there's something stopping it coming up, and I keep locating furt her hidden screws that need to be removed :(

won't budge, so I've now decided to get a saw and cut the plywood into smal ler squares while still screwed down. I'll then remove a small square of pl y at a time.

pth into the ply without cutting into the T&G floorboards below? Hopefully, I can then remove the ply-board a small piece at a time.

has no depth setting, so is really no good for this job.

the cement covered ply wood.

al a clean screw head.

ct tool for that job. Doesn't take long at all.

, once you get into a rhythm.

e screwed down ply-wood - ever tried to do that ? A job for the bionic man and with a matrix of screws spaced at 15cm, forget it.

rate, but I think that using mole grips on the whole floor would have defin itely taken longer.

cate the screw. So obvious when you think about it, but not obvious enough for me ;)

good to know. Some sheet materials are practical to pry up, some are much t ougher.

NT