Removing Tile Adhesive

Submitted by solracarevir t3_z6abs8 in DIY

So... 6 years ago I purchased a home that was just renovated at the time, but 4 years later the tiles of the floor started to get loose. After a while I started suspecting the original floor might still be under it and today after taking a leapt of faith decided to remove a hole tile and chip away the adhesive to see what was underneath. To my Surprise, the Original Terrazzo flooring is still there!

My plan is removing all the tiles installed during the renovation since so many of them became loose and cracked and keep the terrazzo floor, but what would be the best approach to remove the adhesive? The tiles per se comes out pretty easily but the adhesive on the one tile I did was a pita to remove and after a lot of work there is still considerable amounts of adhesive to remove. I looked online but almost every video I found work on tile replacement so either don't care about damaging the floor underneath or go roughly with a chisel ang a hammer, thing that would take a long time considering this is a 2,300 sq ft house.

After everything is removed I'm planning to bring over a professional so he can polish seal and Polish the terrazzo.

Here is how it looks after around half and hour of removing adhesive

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imoutohere t1_iy0n2rx wrote

When new terrazzo is polished by grinding it down. Call the professional before you get too involved and ask his opinion on how to approach

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solracarevir OP t1_iy1mm4u wrote

I'll have someone come over and have it take a look before tearing the floor down. Thanks

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davethompson413 t1_iy16ejo wrote

True terrazzo in a house is amazingly uncommon, due to the huge expense of installing it. The framing needs to be lower than other floors, so that the specialized concrete can be thick enough. And the grinding/ polishing process takes days, while paying artisan wages.

Before I spent anything other than time, I'd want to be absolutely certain that's real terrazzo. Might be tile that looks like it.

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solracarevir OP t1_iy1mau6 wrote

Definitely I'll bring an expert to confirm, but I'm pretty confident is Terrazzo Stone. Terrazzo was incredibly popular in my country during the 50's and 60's to the point almost every house built during those decades had Terrazzo floors. Right now I'm at my Mother in Law apartment walking over a terrazzo floor.

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That said, the aggregate on the area I uncovered seems to be way smaller of what is commonly see on my country so I'll confirm with an Expert. Thanks

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Spare_me_thy_bs t1_iy2wwsq wrote

Chemist here. You will need a chlorinated organic solvent. Using petroleum, solvents and distillates for cleaning floors is common and dangerous, and can cause brain damage and cancer.

The most readily available would be tetrachloroethylene. More commonly referred to as Brakleen Red. Any turdzone will have it. They even make an extra large can with a jet spray nozzle. Evaporates clean with little residue, is not flammable, and prob the strongest adhesive remover available commercially. A lot of times it’s wiped off the shelves it’s not a secret. That and some people use it to clean pharmaceutical freebases of illicit drugs. Just saying.

Once it penetrates underneath it will be a cake walk. It’s also heavier than water, so it will sink and continue to, displacing water upwards.

Your next option, although advise against it would be toluene. OR it’s shitty little brother xylene. These two petroleum solvents are capable of melting plastic at room temperature. Also toxic, flammable extremely, and pricey. Buying large quantities of these may give you some funny looks at check out. because they to, are often involved in the production of methamphetamine. I would stick to a max of 2 gallons or less. That would be normal.

Lastly, I’ll suggest the most powerful cleaning substance that I’m aware of called piranha solution. It is a combination of concentrated virgin sulfuric acid(Kleen out) mixed with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Always add to acid never add acid to anything. It must be mixed in a glass vessel, because within seconds it will reach upwards of 300° and be boiling independently by itself. This is what the cartels use in 55 gallon plastic drums to dissolve the victims in. from what I’ve heard, it can chop down a whole body in less than a week. Me personally, I just use it to clean glass wears.

There you go, buddy there’s ya hitchhikers guide to clean floors

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Syndicofberyl t1_iy0lvwe wrote

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/bosch-120v-5-inch-corded-concrete-surfacing-angle-grinder-with-dedicated-dust-collector-shroud/1001168827?eid=PS_GOOGLE_D25%20-%20E-Comm_GGL_Shopping_PLA_EN_Power%20Tools_Power%20Tools__PRODUCT_GROUP_pla-327236419169&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsoycBhC6ARIsAPPbeLthqTGqrjkF7cz6i750ClMug9xwxJ1bdUpkAUMgtsLt2pg4jFwO7boaAvR1EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Concrete surfacing grinder with dust shroud (hook to a shop vac)

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baverdi t1_iy12oia wrote

Could you recommend something more expensive?

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Syndicofberyl t1_iy1a9qy wrote

I mean, you could be shitty about it. Or research these tools. Pretty sure you can get one of these through harbor freight for under 100. And FYI you could find one of these from festool for a hair under 3k. This is an example of what you want. Get a cheap angle grinder and a cup diamond wheel. And a respirator cause you're gonna chew dust.

Or look into rentals. Maybe you can find one for 30 bucks a day. Shouldn't take you more than 2 or 3 days

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