Before it is mixed with water thinset consists of a dry power.
Remove thinset from concrete board on wall.
I can t say i have ever seen anyone take the time to try to clean all the thinset mortar off of the backerboard in hopes to reuse it.
Thinset mortar is a construction adhesive used to bond tile to a subsurface usually wood.
It will chisel the thinset off the cement like butter they said.
Since i ve never tried to remove thinset from concrete before i did what most diyers do in this situation i googled it.
The amount of time and labor involved in sanding down every bit of thinset remaining on the backerboard without cracking or damaging it from demo ing the tile is way more than.
Rotary hammer drill via amazon everything i read said to buy a 2 tile chisel for the hammer drill.
An air chisel with the correct blade would have made short work of it all and been much much cheaper than 500.
So wear dusk masks and eye protection goggles to protect yourself from the fine pieces of thinset.
How to remove thinset from concrete in this video renos removes thinset from concrete as part of the tile removal portion of a bathroom renovation project.
Afterward it has a thick cement like consistency.
Also there are floor grinders that have available vacuum attachments that dramatically reduce the amount of dust that would get into your home.
It s just not practical at all.
If you re unable to remove all of it smooth out the surface with an angle grinder and a diamond grinding wheel.
To remove thinset start by pouring boiling water over the thinset to weaken the material.
Dry thinset allows for easy removal.
Remove the highest levels of the old thinset then install the backerboard over it.
Also cover the things around the flooring with plastic so that the dust does not settle on them.
Leave it for an hour then hold a sharp putty knife at a 45 degree angle and hammer the back with a hand maul to break up the thinset.
Removing thinset by using a hammer and chisel is the easiest way to get rid of it but it is a dusty task.