Air chisel or rotary hammer for tile counter top removal?

[thestrangebrew1]

Working on getting my tile counter top off. We can't just separate the top and life it off, we'll have to break the tile and 1.5" cement the bastard laid. Should I get an air chisel or go for the full on rotary hammer with 2" chisel attachment? I've got about 30-40 sq. ft. of counter top tile I need to get off. Thoughts?

Pic of tile and cement:

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Even if you are successful in removing the tile, you still have the concrete to deal with. Going just off the picture, those cabinets can't be saved.

 

[Greenman]

A couple flat bars and a hammer will do the job in about the same amount of time as it takes to go pick up a roto hammer. That said, either will break it up.

 

[NetWareHead]

I recommend a heavy hand held sledge (3-5 pounds) and a cold chisel or breaker bar. Sounds like you are trying to lift the countertop off in one piece? That wont work. You need to chip away at this and bring the pieces outside to a dumpster.

If you have a 2 handed sledgehammer, give the tile a few whacks. It will break into pieces.

I had floor tiles with also an absurdly thick layer of mortar underneasth, an inch in thickness. No idea why the floor was laid this way?? Who would need that much mortar under a floor or counter?

 

[thestrangebrew1]

How can you tell the cabinets can't be saved based off the picture? They look fine in person on the portion we already removed.

I'm not trying to take the top off as a whole. We're replacing the top with granite or marble anyways, just trying to figure out how to get tile off easier.


Edit: Will the rotary hammer or air chisel also break up the concrete?

 

[Greenman]

How can you tell the cabinets can't be saved based off the picture? They look fine in person on the portion we already removed.

I'm not trying to take the top off as a whole. We're replacing the top with granite or marble anyways, just trying to figure out how to get tile off easier.


Edit: Will the rotary hammer or air chisel also break up the concrete?

They can be saved, but they're low end cabinets. The doors and drawer fronts need to be replaced, and new hardware installed.

I'd be really careful about whacking those tops with a sledge hammer, you could break the face frame below it.

If you drive a crow bar under the edge of the tile and pry it up, it will break into manageable pieces. Using a roto hammer or air chisel will turn it into gravel and dust.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

ok thanks. i'll save the money and just hammer them out then! we're probably going to sand and stain the cabinets when we get the tiles off and work on the front faces and hardware.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[NetWareHead]

If you want to save the cabinets, last thig gId use would be a roto-hammer or powerful tool. Its just a little too easy to damage the underlying surface. Especially when you start getting comfortable with the tool and are being less careful.

I used one to remove tile flooring. I could have done it by hand with a sledge and chisel or bar but there were a few hundred sq ft so the powertool enabled me to do the job in the afternoon.

There were a few areas of subfloor that I damaged (as in, put the chisel end right through the floor!) with the demo-hammer that requires replacing later on. Either the subfloor had a weak or previously damaged spot or I got too agggressive with the angle... If you care about the below surface, Id probably use hand tools to remove the tile.

 

[olds]

https://smile.amazon.com/Stanley-55...UTF8&qid=1469407287&sr=8-1&keywords=wonderbar

https://smile.amazon.com/Estwing-MR...d=1469407229&sr=8-2&keywords=amazon+3#+sledge

 

[paperfist]

I could park my car on there

Weird he went that thick with no reinforcements.

 

[Greenman]

I could park my car on there

Weird he went that thick with no reinforcements.

3/4 to 1" is pretty much standard on a dry pack counter top. What's odd to me is there is no metal edge at the front, but there is a different colored material in there. I assume it was something used for a screed.

 

[Riverhound777]

You're lucky it's just mortar underneath. I took out my cabinets a couple weeks ago (luckily wasn't planning to save them) and in the mortar was chicken wire.

 

[Greenman]

You're lucky it's just mortar underneath. I took out my cabinets a couple weeks ago (luckily wasn't planning to save them) and in the mortar was chicken wire.

That's how it's normally done. The only time you don't use wire is in a shower pan, and that's generally 2" thick.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

There's chicken wire there. At least in the portions we removed. I didn't have time to do any more demo work yesterday as my daughter had her last swim meet, but we should be at it again tonight!