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Removing Slate
https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=2730
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Author:  karens [ Jul 19, 2007 10:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Removing Slate

Hi All,

I was hoping to get some advice on how to remove slate. The slate is through the entire house, including the shower recess!!! Is it possible to remove myself?

Any advise on how to do this is welcome.

Thank you

Author:  Cookiemonster [ Jul 19, 2007 11:11 pm ]
Post subject: 

Oh what a job! I don't envy you.

I did this on my last home. Had to remove a slate floor to put down carpet.
The slate was laid on the concrete slab. I used an air-compressor and an air-hammer and chiselled up each tile one by one.

I spent a couple of hours each day after work doing it. A 6m x 4m room took me 5 days.. so about 10 hours of work to do 24 sqm.

And the amount of grout dust was unbelievable. Even though I screened off the room the dust still carried through the house somewhat.

Author:  karens [ Jul 19, 2007 11:21 pm ]
Post subject: 

Thanks Mark, do you know if you can hire the air compressor & air hammer? My duplex is 92m2 and the entire place is slate!!! Looks like it will be a pretty big job!!!

Author:  Cookiemonster [ Jul 19, 2007 11:41 pm ]
Post subject: 

Is your slate on a concrete base?

With the time it will take it will probably be a lot cheaper to buy the air tools rather than hire them.

You can get cheap air-compressors from the hardware. A GMC 2.5hp compressor is under $100.

Author:  royalblue [ Jul 20, 2007 12:04 am ]
Post subject: 

Or you could pay a contractor to do it.

There are a couple of businesses that I know of (and maybe several others).

One is called Tile Rip. Another, Alligator Rip.

I'd at least get quotes before you go down the DIY path.

Ash.

Author:  Bud977 [ Jul 20, 2007 8:52 am ]
Post subject: 

I used an electric Kanga which you can get from your local hire place for about $50 per day. You need a bit of weight to dig up the grout. But don't get a real big unit as your arms will be falling off after a couple of hours.

I would rate digging up tiles as one of the worst jobs you can do. Very hard work, dusty. I ended up wearing a positive pressure hood to keep the dust out of my eyes. Don't expect to live in the place while you are digging up the tiles.

From a 92m2 floor, you will end up filling an 10m3 skip with rubbish. That is probably 8 tonne of material!

Unless you are prepared for some long, hard work, pay someone else to do it.

Author:  Cookiemonster [ Jul 20, 2007 9:21 am ]
Post subject: 

Just let me re-iterate.. it really is a really really REALLY crappy job to do.

I did get a lot of satisfaction from doing it myself though.

Author:  Pearl_07 [ Jul 20, 2007 10:14 am ]
Post subject: 

We have just had all of the slate and tiles on the ground floor of our house taken up. We had contractors in and it took them almost 2 weeks and they broke/burnt out several jackhammer thingos (clearly know what I'm talking about!). They ended up hiring a big unit just to get the slate up.

There is no way I would even contemplate doing a job that size on my own. It was hard hard work and the dust/mess is horrendous!! Don't forget once you've taken up the slate you'll need to sand and then level the concrete - slate does not come off neatly (ours didn't anyway).

Like everyone has suggest, pay someone.

Author:  Bud977 [ Jul 20, 2007 10:47 am ]
Post subject: 

Oh, also, I just remembered, get someone else to do it! :D

Author:  karens [ Jul 20, 2007 11:57 am ]
Post subject: 

Thanks everyone for your advise. I think I will go down the path of getting professionals to quote before I decide to take on this task! I guess alternatively I could invest in a few more floor rugs..... I really dont understand why anyone would put slate on their floors????
thanks

Author:  parker [ Jul 20, 2007 1:04 pm ]
Post subject: 

Is that any different to tiling large section of your house? I have no experience with slate.

Author:  Yak_Chat [ Jul 20, 2007 1:28 pm ]
Post subject: 

Get a man on a machine.

I lifted some hardiplank and concrete tiles that were glued and nailed to a jarrah floor in a kitchen - With a crowbar I was getting about a 3cm square off with each hit.

So searched the web and found a guy whos business is lifting tiles in shopping centres (like westfield)
He came out with his mini bobcat tile lifter - drove into the house (yes it's designed to fit through doors) and with a creak and groan the suspended timber floors took the weight and within 4 hours his tile lifting blade had done the lot and that was 40m2 of tiles and hardiplank board off the floor. Man did they glue and nail that lot down well :shock:

Then the fun started trying to get hm out as we discovered some rotten boards in the original doorway - so out through another door he went - creak groan made it :) he said he only did it becasue it was an odl house and he knew the floors would have been pretty strong.
SLAB on G should be OK - but ask them.

Then my fun started sanding and getting it all ready to do with a clear finish.

Well worth the effort eventually.
Much better than 70's brown tiles :)
But a lot of work - so be prepared for it.
Is the slate really that bad? Maybe some rugs etc will make it look a lot better and you can leave it as is ?
Steve

Author:  royalblue [ Jul 20, 2007 7:10 pm ]
Post subject: 

Thinking laterally...................

What floorcoverings are you looking at putting down to replace the slate?

If the slate is secure, you might be able to lay a floating floor over the top of it. If it is quite irregular in height, a screed might need to be applied to level it, and allowed to dry. Then, an underlay and floating floor could go straight over it.

Would save you all the hassles of getting the slate up!

Ash.

Author:  karens [ Jul 24, 2007 11:44 pm ]
Post subject: 

I have got a couple of prices on the removal of the slate and it is going to cost approx $3500. WHich is not as much as thought it would be.

I was thinking of replacing the slate with floating floor boards. What is Screed? What would the total thickness be taking into consideration the screed, underlay and floor boards as if it was too thick that would cause problems with all the doors which may then need to be fixed also.

Author:  royalblue [ Jul 25, 2007 12:07 am ]
Post subject: 

A float of a product (i think epoxy based) that fills the lower parts of the floor and provides a fairly level surface on which to lay another floorcovering.

Yeah, the overall height might be an issue. I'd allow say 15-18mmm above the highest points of the slate. You'd have to consider skirting and door heights, but that shouldn't be anywhere near as much a prob/cost as getting up the slate.

Ash.

Author:  Cookiemonster [ Jul 25, 2007 8:08 am ]
Post subject: 

For $3500 I'd tend towards getting the slate pulled up. Did you get anymore quotes?

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