I took to removing the tile from my bathroom floor and while the tile removal was a *****, I seem to having conflicting reports as to what the surface is to look like before I retile.

I remove anythint that has the gaps left behind by a trowel, leaving it relatively smooth and flat.

My dilemma is on one side, it appears that they either used a lot of thin set, or some type of leveler was used as it appears to be thicker that the other side of the bathroom.

What should my surface look like in preparation for tiling?

Thanks

__________________
Enough about me, how are you doing?

Are you doing this on a concrete slab? How thick is the old thinset? In my basement Bathroom I cleared it to the slab....to make up the original mortar bed thickness (tollet flange height important)...I used thinset layed backerboard then thinset with new tile...

Over wood fllor I preffer to strip to wood glue and screw backerboard to the subfloor and use thinset to bond new tile to that....

Not a pro....but thats how I did it.


Backerboard = cement board

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

We call it up here Wonderboard,cement board with fibreglass netting on both sides,gray in color,available anywhere.

This'll raise your floor1/4to1/2"so you may need an extension horn for the toilet's wax ring.

__________________

Wax ring? It need a wax ring?

What do you use then? chewing gum?

__________________

got a buddy of min who's into construction and he helped me out. Seems that the one side was much thicker and apparently had some extra thinset, to level out thge floor, we broke it off and I'll be setting it up in a bit.

Thanks

BTW, getting advise from the wrong person at home depot sucks. 2 people told me that using the cement backer board would be fine, that manufactures suggest it. One bozo shook his head so much, it look like someone had dies and he was in denial.

I left there wondering who knew what?

__________________
Enough about me, how are you doing?

I had the 1" mosaic tile originally on about a 1" mortor bed...it took two layers of cement board in addtion to the tile to put the floor at original height...no extension needed in my case....

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Yeah, home despot is hit and miss in the advice dept.

If it's a concrete floor, I'd just smooth out the old thinset best I could and tile over that. Even the 1/4 inch backerboard can give you more work with thresholds, toilet, etc.

Or if it's a wood floor, depends on what the previous guy did. Did he put down backerboard/hardyboard?

I imagine you threw a level on it to see if the extra thinset had been added to level the floor.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

No doubt....you don't want the new floor being higher than the old floor.....I HAD to retain the original height or deal with shortening a 32 year oild cast iron drain flange...

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

cement board is really the best on the floor as well as on the walls, especially the ones that get wet a lot (shower.) the floor does not have to be smooth nor that flat either. actually the rougher the better and you can work wonders with mortar in the level deparment.

depends on where this tile job is, you can also use underlayment but make sure to nail it ever 4"-6" in every direction. it works just fine in non wet areas especially where floor "height" maybe of concern. it is also cheaper then the cement board.

__________________
72 W114/M130

RedMeat cartoon

Duct tape.......it's the handyman's secret weapon

Oh man, I'd forgotten about that one. Could'a bought some nifty nylon rope for what that duct tape cost, but then they'd have to learn how to tie knots.

__________________
1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

they we movin themselves to their new double wide after being on Jerry Springer....

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
---------------------
"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Actually that is a photo of me and Nikkki (with 3 k's) return'in some stuff to WalMart for refund and taki'n the aluminam cans to the recicler so's we could get sum mo beer and Megamillyon tickets. Some of ya'll can be so criteecal and jump to conklusions before ya'll know the faks!!! We taped up the doors afore we knew it and had'ta climb in the windows. Bi tha way, anyone got a lef habd quarter winder for this thang? I'm outta packin tape and it's fix'in to get cold!!

__________________
72 W114/M130

RedMeat cartoon