Ceramic Tile Removal Made Easy with the Right Tools
Tile removal can be a difficult process if the proper equipment is not used. The following is a list of equipment recommendations for different types of tile.
The key to stone and ceramic tile removal is having the right tool for the job. If the workspace will tolerate the weight and size, a riding scraper will always be a better option. This is mainly because of three things:
First, even the smallest riding scraper will weigh 4-5 times as much as a walk behind increasing blade pressure.
Second, a riding scraper has an advantage with high wheel speed and torque. In fact, this increased speed will lead to much higher removal rates on softer floors. On the toughest floors, the additional weight and torque can remove greater amounts of thinset than a walk-behind.
Third, consider the blade height and pitch advantage a rider can offer. Any chisel that is removing hard goods will grind away its edge as it works. As a result, forcing the user to re-sharpen or replace. This leads to increased cost and time.
Renegade® riding scrapers address hard goods removal this with a patented “Dual lift” system. Using our proprietary “dual lift” system, these riders can adjust the blades height and pitch separately so you can keep a sharp edge on the floor even as the tooling starts to wear.
For cleanup and thinset removal, there are a variety of options ranging from 4 inch to 14 inch blades in varying thicknesses to ensure you always have the right blade for the job.
For tight spaces and smaller jobs, the best option tends to be a heavy duty walk behind that is built to take up tile. The 6280HD Gladiator weighs in at 550 lbs. to maximize head pressure. This unit is also self-propelled with enough torque to do most of the work for you.
In the real world, many floors are wavy. As a result, the Gladiator is equipped with a swiveling blade holder. The 6280HD is designed to use carbide tipped chisels to remove hard goods like ceramic tile and stone.
