sorry - house app isn’t allowing me to add photos — annoying!

Here are photos — is it just me. or is this tile kind of awful? And is ripping it out crazy if there is radiant heat? Will it be $$ to swap for a slate look tile?

The water pipes are cast in a slab or they are under plywood or? Tile removal is always tricky and especially in a finished space like this so you dont want the cheap handyman guy. Real slate would be gorgeous in here.

Define "terribly expensive".

idk? I’m curious how much more expensive it is to take out old tile here - presuming they have to trash parts of radiant heat tubes underneath and re-do? The plumbing is obviously all in place, but I assume whatever materials are under the tile for the radiant will need to be replaced (it’s a hot water system) plus labor etc….

The answer is- it depends. If you can’t answer how the current floor is built you are flying blind until the project starts

Such beautiful cabinetry, it's a shame they picked that tile. Sorry I have no idea of how expensive it would be, but if that were my forever home, I'd get rid of it.

Sadly, our contractor says they'd need to jackhammer it out and that it would likely damage the cabinet bottoms.... So frustrating! Open to any suggestions other than the obvious of trying to cover it with rugs!

Sadly, our contractor says they'd likely need to chisel it all out - and not only replace entire radiant heat system but also damage base of the cabinetry? So frustrating! Open to suggestions beyond the obvious of putting down as many rugs as possible.....

I would add a long runner in front of the sink, and other rugs to match. Its not my favorite tile, but, I would live with it, rather than cause damage to other areas. Since you just bought the house, you may need the dollars for something else too, so its really not the time and place to spend a lot of money on a floor that is fairly new.

You need a different contractor.

If that is on conventional foundation, the radiant could be a staple up housing the tubes. OR set in SLC on top of the subfloor. If it's on slab, the tubes should be inside the slab, for the whole build. Not just the kitchen. If they are not, then they are in an added layer of SLC on top of the slab that is contributing to a large height difference between the kitchen and other rooms. And that wouldn't ever be ideal. Running a boiler, just for a kitchen, is kinda crazy expensive too.

You have to do a whole lot more investigating here to know what the possibilities are. Your contractor is NOT the one for this job, regardless. You can certainly remove tile without damaging cabinets. If you know what you are doing. This guy does not know what he is doing.

Minardi I agree 100%

Thanks very much - but the cabinetry here does seem to have "feet" and a more elaborate toe kick - doesn't go straight down to floor and across. If we were to replace the whole floor, how would they get the new tile in without removing and reinstalling all of the cabinets? I had not thought of that..... Our contractor says that it isn't possible to individually remove each of the current tiles which are glued down, and that in the process of chiseling them out they are quite likely to damage the tubes underneath. You disagree? I was debating taking up the floor and just bailing on the radiant heat in there and going with an electric baseboard or two, but I don't want to damage the cabinets?

You need a different contractor. The decorative trims get removed and the tile is chipped away up to the cabinet edge, new tile installed, and toe kicks etc reinstalled. This contractor doesn’t know or doesn’t want to do this. You still won’t or can’t answer what kind of install you have.

I don't know what kind of install it is -- I know there are "tubes" under there, but that's the extent of my understanding?!

The rest of your house has wood floors based on your other posts and therefore I’m guessing over a basement? Is the kitchen over a basement or on a slab?

Over a basement….

Ok…. So the pipes are above the subfloor or under it?

I don’t know. Just under contract in the house. Not a lot of info. Inspector didn’t know either.

Well, its a good time, to have your realtor talk to owners and ask those questions, so you do know, for future use, even if you decide to not do it right now. Make a list of questions, for your realtor to ask?