My 1st Job Removing old adhesive

Shooter999 · Apr 19, 2017

Hi everyone,

After a bit of advice (isn't everyone).

We need to completely overhaul our upstairs ensuite bathroom.

I've managed to remove all of the tiles and the old shower and enclosure.

What's left is the adhesive on the flooring. It just doesn't want to come up (as can be seen from the pics).

What are my options to get this in a fit state to begin tiling?

A friend who is a builder mentioned putting down 6mm hardiebacker? If I were to do this, do I have to put some form of adhesive down to level the existing floor and to attach the hardiebacker to?

Is the above the best option, or are there others?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

Qwerty · Apr 19, 2017

Use a 4" blade scraper and it will come up

Shooter999 · Apr 19, 2017

Thanks for the reply.

So far I've tried an sds chisel bit, hammer and bolster, wood chisel and finally a screwdriver.

Whilst I was having some success with the chisel and screwdriver, it still wasn't taking it all up, so I would have been left with an uneven floor?

Old Mod · Apr 19, 2017

Close bathroom door, open windows, wet the floor, get an angle grinder and a grinding cup, and you'll have it done in 30mins. Messy but effective.

If you think that's bad, look what I walked in to this morning after builder messed floor up.

Now that's what you call a tough job to get adhesive up! Haha

Old Mod · Apr 19, 2017

It happens to be 25m2 too!

Qwerty · Apr 19, 2017

It shouldn't. Not if you scrape rather than hack at it

WetSaw · Apr 19, 2017

I'm surprised that failed with such good coverage

Old Mod · Apr 19, 2017

pdc said:
I'm surprised that failed with such good coverage
View attachment 89752

Not bad Paul hey mate!

Shooter999 · Apr 20, 2017

Never used an angle grinder before, but I can borrow one off a mate.

Can you recommend a grinder cup for the job?

When you say wet the floor, how wet should it be?

Thanks in advance.

Old Mod · Apr 20, 2017

Something like this:

Grinding cup

I can not stress enough how messy this is, tape up gap around door, wear MASK, EYE PROTECTION & GLOVES!
Go tentively at first to see how much pressure to use, you WILL tear up the ply if you're too heavy handed!

If you've never used a grinder I'd suggest you give Geoff's idea above a go first, soak the adhesive with water and use a bladed scraper, not a paint scraper.

Bladed scraper

Shooter999 · Apr 20, 2017

3_fall said:
Something like this:

Grinding cup

I can not stress enough how messy this is, tape up gap around door, wear MASK, EYE PROTECTION & GLOVES!
Go tentively at first to see how much pressure to use, you WILL tear up the ply if you're too heavy handed!

If you've never used a grinder I'd suggest you give Geoff's idea above a go first, soak the adhesive with water and use a bladed scraper, not a paint scraper.

Bladed scraper

Thanks for the prompt reply. I'll give the scraper a go first.

Cheers.

Flintstone · Apr 20, 2017

I would waste your time and effort scraping that off, it's chipboard so needs over boarding anyway. Check to make sure it's secure and not bouncing as those chip board floors often do. If it's ok, over board with hardi, use a suitable tile adhesive to stick it down, mix it thin ish, probably a 10mm trowel will easily sort out that then ofcourse screw it.

@3_fall any reason you can't just apply a thin layer of leveller ?

Flintstone · Apr 20, 2017

Shooter999 · Apr 20, 2017

Thanks for the reply. I've tried the scraper, and it's not making much of a dent.

Was about to go and purchase the grinding cup.

When you mention a thin layer of leveller, can you expand? Do you mean apply a thin layer to the adhesive that is already there, and then tile on top of this? If so can you recommend a leveller?

The boards are fine, with no bounce in them.

Flintstone · Apr 20, 2017

I was referring to 3_fall when i mentioned leveller, if you look at my photos, that is what I would do with your floor, stick the hardie straight over it with tile adhesive and a decent sized notch trowel

My 1st Job Removing old adhesive

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