How To Save Money On Tile Remodels

The economy struggling under unnecessary economic pressure is forcing homeowners to don work clothes, dust masks, and knee pads to save money on their next remodel. Demolition is one thing that homeowners can do at the delight of tile installers, for the most part and as long as it is done correctly.

When you begin a tile demolition on a floor or say a tiled tub wall, you need to know how it was built to make it easier to remove.



In a tube shower wall, the plumbing contractor was looking at a 3 foot x 5 foot sheet rocked area for the tube. He installed the tub, then the contractor installed green board on the edge of the tub and around it. Then the tile contractor tiled the space. Because the tile contractor used bull nose trim up the sides of the tile and across the top you know there is most likely green boad under the tile.



When in demolition of a tub shower wall, measure up 4 foot above the top of the tub. Behind the tile there will be a seam between two sheets of blue board. Use a hammer and bust a line through the tile along a line 4 feet above the tub. Behind the tile you can exploit that seam to remove the green board with the tile still attached. It is far easier to remove say 4'x4' slabs of green board with the tile still attached than dealing with thousands of tiny shards of tile, dusty green board, and any other stuff in there.

Simple tear out.

As you can see from this tear out I did some time ago, virtually all the tile is still intact. If you are keeping the tub you will need to tape couple layers of cardboard or use some 1/2 inch plywood or something to cover the tub porcelain to protect it. You can do it too with U-Haul type shipping blankets. The bottom line is not to chip the tub which will do so easily. If you do chip the porcelain, you can fix that with porcelain paint you can find in your local paint department. Some of it is epoxy. The best practice is don't chip it. (Savings about $400.00)



This is one of the simplest things you can do to save as much as $600 on your next bathroom remodel. Look for closeouts at your big box stores and Floor and Decore. Remember, a close out means if you run short you may not find the right tile to finish the job so be sure to buy in excess of what is needed but the savings could well be worth it. Expect over 50% off on closeouts.

On a floor, it will be a matter of the proper equipment and brute force. Although I have removed many a tile floor with little more than a good hammer, dust pan, and contractor plastic bags, using power tools will make the job go faster.
You can rent a Chipping hammer for about $40 bucks for a 1/2 day or there about. Be sure to get a an 1" and 1/2 flat chipping bit if not larger to help bust up the tile. I scoop up the broken tile and drop it into a 5 gallon bucket. You will find if you are placing the broken tile in plastic contractor bags to haul it off, a 5 gallon bucket is about the right size weight wise for the plastic bags. It is easier to fill a 5 gallon bucket and dump it into a wheel borrow or plastic bags.



After you have removed the tile, use a 4 inch blade scraper to remove any remaining thinset or grout. After all the tile is removed it is a good idea to mop up the dust with a mop and bucket. When you grease and flour a cake pan to keep the cake mix from sticking to the sides of the pan, so too can dust on the keep the thinset from adhering to the concrete.

Always wear safety lenses, a dust mask and certainly gloves when handling tile. The surface of ceramic tile is glass and will slice you open like a Thanksgiving Turkey with relative ease. Be sure to get and wear knee pads.



Seal the tile and grout yourself. Give it about 24 hours to dry then apply the sealer. I use a sponge and spray bottle a'la WIndex or something like that. It is important that you remove the excess with paper towels vigorously to keep from leaving streaks and dry the surface. This is to keep you from tracking the sealer all over your other floors like hardwood for instance. If you do happen to do that, get sealer on your hardwood finish, get a dry terrycloth towel and buff it out. You can save anywhere from $75 to $150 by sealing the install yourself.



 Cash. You may be able to get a discount from a contractor if you offer to pay in cash. This gives the contractor an attractive option and it is his business how he handles incoming revenue.

There you have it, I have listed about 4 things you can do to save about $1000 or more on your next remodel. Of course these are generalities but this is how you can save nonetheless.