Removing very sticky bitumen from concrete floor

[divadee]

Hi there, newbie here and hoping for some simple advice.
We have got a very old as very poor parquet flooring in the dining room under the carpet. We want to remove all of this to tile but husband has said we must remove all the bitumen first.
What is the best way to do this? We have had to lift the parquet in another room and it is so sticky that it's a nightmare to work with. We were putting carpet in that room so we just ply boarded it. Hubby has said that's not really suitable for tiling.
Please can you help? Xxxx

 

[AliGage]

Are they Bitumen tiles or has it been put down as a screed or a means to level?

 

[Dan]

I think you can tile to bitumen providing it is well stuck down can't you?

I've asked this myself before and I'm sure that the answer was just to use a two-part flexible adhesive. Might be wrong so wait for the lads to give more info here.

 

[divadee]

Hi aligage. It has been used we assume as an adhesive for the parquet flooring. It is all over the floor and bleeding through the parquet blocks. We haven't removed the parquet flooring yet as we don't want to stick to the floor!!

Hi dan

It is lifting in places and not at all level. Some places have big lumps of stuff. Other places not so much and can see the concrete underneath.

 

[AliGage]

Any chance of a picture. You mention big lumps? Are these brittle? Just want to be certin it's bitumen

 

[divadee]

Any chance of a picture. You mention big lumps? Are these brittle? Just want to be certin it's bitumen

Hi Aligage I have done a quick picture of what it underneath the whole parquet floor to give you an idea.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/divadee/de47cc4e.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v355/divadee/c9ca8c76.jpg

My hubby said its more ridges than lumps (I am a girl what do I know lol) they can be chiseled off! But that's not a job I would relish doing with my small chisel lol.

I was wondering if maybe a floor scarifier would work on the concrete? Or an angle grinder with wire brush? (admittedly don't relish either of those)

 

[AliGage]

Ah i see. It has been used as an adhesive. It's more commonly (when used indoors) used as screed. If that was the case it's easy to get up, as usually 9/10 times it's concrete underneath. Once you break through to concrete level an SDS brings it up in lumps.

To be completely honest it's a nightmare to get up when still sticky. I haven't found a better method than a blade scraper and elbow grease. I've heard that diesel, a scrubbing brush and lots of old rags works. But, please don't quote me. I certinly wouldn't suggest this if you're planning to tile.

Invest in some PPE (particularly a good mask), a heat gun, and various scraping tools until you find one that works best for you. Use the heat gun to loosen it a bit and scrap away. Ensure the room is well ventilated. Unless some one can bless me with a simpler method, but elbow grease and heat is what i do. It's effectively tarmac your scraping up.

 

[White Room]

Could check out your local hire shop for machine..

 

[AliGage]

Could check out your local hire shop for machine..

If they do one let me know. In it's undry state you can't grind it, sand it or hammer it out. It's a nightmare.

 

[divadee]

Oh this is gonna be a tedious jobs think!!! Maybe my husband was right and he should restore the parquet like he did in the hallway! I just really wanted tiles in there with food around etc...

Whitebeam what sort of machine would I be asking for?

 

[AliGage]

Divadee. An excellent saying i always use: "Can't make an omelette without breaking eggs". I'm sure it would look lovely tiled in the end. Have you sourced any quotations to see how much someone would charge to clean, remove and tile the area?

 

[White Room]

Oh this is gonna be a tedious jobs think!!! Maybe my husband was right and he should restore the parquet like he did in the hallway! I just really wanted tiles in there with food around etc...

Whitebeam what sort of machine would I be asking for?

Could look at some of these

HSS Hire - Self Propelled Tile Stripper Hire and Rent
HSS Hire - Floor Tile Remover Hire and Rent
HSS Hire - Textured Surface Remover Hire and Rent
HSS Hire - Electric Floor Grinder Hire and Rent

 

[AliGage]

The tile stripper looks the tool for the job. There is a cheaper one though:

HSS Hire - Floor Tile Stripper Hire and Rent

 

[White Room]

And looks alot lighter....