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