Best OMT blade for grout removal?

[ThatSickRip]

Got 2 bathrooms worth of grout to remove for renovations; 2 floors worth and 1 shower, both are small bathrooms. Who makes the best OMT blade for grout removal like this?

Or do I just get a Milwaukee SDS rotary hammer and smash it all?

 

[mobiledynamics]

Ha . I would rather chip it out lay or maybe put new wall/tile and then regrout than to chip out grout anyday. In my mind...it's a whole lot easier...

 

[PugetDude]

A Spyder grout saw in a sawzall is much quicker. On floors. Not the best idea on walls.
4-1/2" Angle grinder with a diamond or silicon carbide cutoff wheel is even quicker and much easier to control. Just have to get a feel for how deep you're cutting, it's easy to cut well into the substrate if you're not careful.

On my last tile renovation I used an SDS hammer drill with a 1" chisel bit to take up the floor tile, tried a spuder scraper blade for the wall tile but found that a 3" stiff blade putty knife and a hammer was just as quick and easier to control, once you got the first couple of tiles off a row the rest popped off pretty easily.

Good Luck with your project.

 

[RTM]

Except for the cost of the tile, I like the way mobile thinks. I had to patch some floor, 12” tiles with 1/4” grout lines, and the cleaning up the old grout lines at the transition points was a royal PITA. Much worse than anything, including the regroup and clean up that follows. If I didn’t have to do 400 sq ft, and take my kitchen and DR out of service for a week or more, I’d follow his lead.

And I was using a Fein blade in my Fein, plus some chisels etc

 

[Kaizen]

I know it sounds like a lot to do but I’d do it by hand. Those tools can get away easy and scratch the tile you are trying to save. A hand tile saw that looks like a razor blade works well for straight lines. Also a small screwdriver and hammer. My bathrooms were tiled on every surface including ceilings.
Tear out will lead to lots more work as you will want modern solutions like detra


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[Dumber than lumber]

Fein makes an ultra-thin blade. Worth the money IMO.

 

[ThatSickRip]

Thanks for the info guys!

To be more clear, Im not saving any of the tile, all of it is coming out, so Im not worried about damaging it at all. More worried about damaging and backers/subfloors

 

[The Cobbler]

what are you worried about removing the grout then?
just rip it all out, but doubtful you will relay tile over any of the backers/subfloors without work. you need to think of replacing that , too

 

[Kaizen]

Thanks for the info guys!

To be more clear, Im not saving any of the tile, all of it is coming out, so Im not worried about damaging it at all. More worried about damaging and backers/subfloors

Chances are if it’s installed well you will have to replace whatever it’s attached to so have at it.


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[Toolfool]

You'll spend more time removing thinset from the backer board than it would take to tear it out and replace it with new.

 

[brainypencil]

I use Dremel MM500 1/8-Inch Blade. Can do everything.

 

[RTM]

Oh yeah, then go wild with a flat chisel, get the tile off, the pitch the backer board, much faster than cleaning the board.

 

[ThatSickRip]

what are you worried about removing the grout then?
just rip it all out, but doubtful you will relay tile over any of the backers/subfloors without work. you need to think of replacing that , too

I was thinking it would make the process easier. The GC is putting up new Kerdi board in the shower, so Im good to go there. Id like to try and save the subfloors in the bathrooms, but I guess Ill have to see what I run into

 

[ThatSickRip]

Chances are if it’s installed well you will have to replace whatever it’s attached to so have at it.


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The previous owners did horrible work on the house, so Im thinking the tile was not installed well lol

 

[RTM]

In my house, part of my tile is installed over hardwood flooring, and other parts over linoleum over the hardwood. It is all popping loose over time. I think this falls into the DIY "not installed well" category

 

[mobiledynamics]

TSR. Honestly, this is easy answer......knock walls down. Use durock. I'm not a fan of styrofoam walls....

Depends what is faster/easier on the wallet. Or less dust.
You may be able to remove the floor and then potentially scrape it clean.
A surface grinder may clean the thinset up. Lotsa dust flying around.

Less dust but more materials for a clean base is new subfloor. Either or..

 

[Shiftless]

In my house, part of my tile is installed over hardwood flooring, and other parts over linoleum over the hardwood. It is all popping loose over time. I think this falls into the DIY "not installed well" category

Popping loose makes demo really easy!
I retiled a kitchen counter where the PO laid tile over luan mahogany using very little thin set. I could lift off some of the 8 inch ceramic tiles with my fingers.

 

[PoorUB]

I would do what others recommend, just rip the whole works out!

I did a "half" remodel of our main bathroom about ten years ago, knowing I would be replacing the bathtub and surround later. Five years ago I ripped out the tub, ripped out the walls and set a remodeler tub and surround in place. Before I set the tub I very carefully chipped away tire that would need to be replaced to meet up with the new tub, and then ripped out and all the tile and backer and started over. I should have just ripped it out instead of spending the time trying to patch in the floor. Also, getting old grout off of backer board is a fruitless task!