Removing edge tiles with UFH

[Timo]

Ok, so I went today to lift a tile using the "cut and chisel" technique and it was so easy I ended up lifting the 6 tiles that were needed. First I just cut a 1" grid with the circular saw set to a depth of about 8mm (the tiles are 10mm thick). Half the squares just popped away from the adhesive themselves and the rest came out easily with a sideways tap with a hammer. No chisel required.

Checked the UFH along the way and it was fine.

So now the challenge is to get the adhesive up!

Apparently a sparky is going there soon to fit some lights so the owner will get them to connect the existing UFH up and use their multimeter to (hopefully) detect where the UFH wires run. He has some proximity sensor to detect live wires apparently. No idea? Fingers crossed it can detect the 240V AC through the adhesive. And then he'll just mark along the adhesive where the wires are and I'd chisel around them.

Any other ideas?

 

[Mr Tiler]

if that can actually be done with prescision I think that's the best bet lol

 

[J Sid]

No need to take up adhesive, grind the back of the tile away a couple of mm if only 6 tiles. Then put thin bed of old adh when relaying, remember clean and back butter the ground tile ( will be dusty ) when laying them.

 

[Timo]

No need to take up adhesive, grind the back of the tile away a couple of mm if only 6 tiles. Then put thin bed of old adh when relaying, remember clean and back butter the ground tile ( will be dusty ) when laying them.

Good idea! Will still see what the sparky finds though ...

 

[Mr Tiler]

why did these tiles actually have to come up anyway mate?

 

[Ian]

why did these tiles actually have to come up anyway mate?

Read the thread from the beginning.

 

[Mr Tiler]

ooooooo sorry lol

 

[Timo]

Apparently a sparky is going there soon to fit some lights so the owner will get them to connect the existing UFH up and use their multimeter to (hopefully) detect where the UFH wires run. He has some proximity sensor to detect live wires apparently. No idea? Fingers crossed it can detect the 240V AC through the adhesive. And then he'll just mark along the adhesive where the wires are and I'd chisel around them.

The sparkies non-contact livewire sensor didnt work because (he said) the cables are shielded. So the homeowner bought a 'stud finder' and has reported some limited success detecting the cables through the adhesive and confirmed that with a 'back of the hand' warmth test now that the UFH is working again (thanks to the sparky).

So the homeowner is going to have a go at carefully chiselling out the adhesive where he was pretty sure there was no UFH (about 4 of the 6 tiles) because grinding the back of the tiles risks weakening them too much so they'd crack.

Any other tips / advice?

 

[J Sid]

If back of tile are ground and then layed to a solid bed they will be fine.

 

[Sean Kelly]

Timo, if ever you are laying UFH then I suggest you take a few photos of the wires before you pour self levelling compound over them. Just something I do.