Advice on Floor removal/install options

9 years ago

Hi All, I currently have satillo tile throughout majority of my house (i actually have 3 different types of flooring but that is for another time), anyway, removing it is very expensive. I removed it from my son's room (140sqft) it took 3 days (removal/disposal/cleanup) and VERY hard labor. But I loved it and he now has nice carpet and his room looks like a room. Anyway, removal is expensive any way I slice it, unless I do it myself. My question is-has anyone removed tile in sections/areas over a specific amount of time and did it drive you and your family nuts?? Wondering if I remove the tile by sections ie: hall way, then kitchen, then large family remove will the concrete underneath be okay to walk on for a bit until new floor is laid down? OR has anyone grinded down the tile and laid new flooring on top successfully? thanks in advance..Z (i've attached a pic of what most of the tile looks like-ugly

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Comments (5)

apple_pie_order
9 years ago
Living with the old saltillo until you have the budget for professional tile removal and concrete repair in one fell swoop may be the best option for you and your family to avoid airborne dust.
Zoraida Salas-Allison thanked apple_pie_order
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
9 years ago
I would not have taken out the tile and replaced it with carpet. You are taking an expensive upscale product and replacing it with a cheap one. These tiles can be so very beautiful.

Looks like the flooring has not been kept up. Here is a great article about what works on the tile by an owner.

http://dusty-coyote.blogspot.com/2015/03/stripping-and-sealing-saltillo-tile.html?m=1

Here are some before and after images of the tile floor. If you live in the West, there are plenty of companies that will come out and do this.
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Casa Costalota
9 years ago
Thank you for this post! And thank you Beverly for the link! We have the same issue and although we enjoy the Spanish style of Saltillo when it has been sealed improperly it can be disgusting. I can understand the desire to remove it when you feel it is never clean and the previous owner sealed over dirt. Our floors make me feel icky. They are our last project and I will take the info you provided! You may have saved our floor all 2200 dirty sq ft of it. Btw is there a way to stain it a darker color? Would like to make it more brown and less pink. Thank you!!!

And to the poster you are not alone my husband and I understand what you are going through! Ick!
PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
9 years ago
Yes, once the sealer is removed there is a way to stain it darker. Review some YouTube videos, they explain the process. I know it's disgusting when a previous owner has done incorrect maintenance, but IMO bring back the tile is worth the effort. That much square footage can be daunting, it might be worth renting equipment to help you with the stripping. I've seen some beautiful tile floors that have also been paste waxed that are heaven to walk on. http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1420073

They look like leather if you use the colored wax.
Zoraida Salas-Allison
Original Author
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Hi BeverlyFLADeziner...thank you very much for your very helpful comment. I have read the blog (via link) and it's perfect! I will be doing this to our floors. I can appreciate your comment about perhaps not removing the tile, but it was in my son's bedroom, making the room feel very cold. The previous owner did the install himself and the cuts were very badly done, the tiles were not taken care of at all, the grout was actually coming off the file in dust (sand like)..so this is why they were removed. Had they been professionally installed I would have looked to keep them. Now that you have provided the very informative link, I will try those steps before thinking of removing. I've also seen staining of the tiles, and may do that too. I like the way they keep my home cool in the hot AZ summers. So thanks again.