How to Remove Thinset from a Concrete Floor

Thinset is applied to a concrete floor to hold ceramic tile. However, if you decide to remove the tile, you may find some stubborn areas of thinset that cannot be removed using traditional methods. In order to add new flooring, however, you must remove the thinset before you attempt to install new floor.

In order to remove the thinset efficiently you should purchase or rent a hammer drill. This will save you a lot of time and effort when attempting to remove the thinset. If you must remove the tile as well, you can usually remove both the tile and thinset with a hammer drill. Just remember to wear gloves, goggles, and a safety mask to protect yourself from flying shards of tile or bits of thinset. Also wear earplugs to protect your ears from the noise.

The only exception to needing a hammer drill is if there is only limited amounts of thinset on the concrete. Then you can chip away this thinset from the concrete slab using a cold chisel and hammer. Be forewarned, however, that attempting to remove large amounts of thinset using this method is difficult and time consuming.

Step 1: Angle the hammer drill slightly and turn it on. Move the hammer drill along the thinset, using the power of the hammer drill to carefully chip it away from the concrete slab.

Step 2: Stop once you have created a fair amount of debris, or have finished a 25 square foot section.

Step 3: Sweep the area, removing any thinset and dust and discarding the waste into a trash can.

Step 4: Continue using the hammer drill, stopping as necessary to remove any resulting debris, until all of the thinset has been removed completely.

Step 5: Vacuum the entire area with a shop vac. If you find that the concrete slab was pitted or is still in bad condition, you may want to add a thin layer of self leveling compound to give yourself a clean canvas to work on. However, if you are installing carpet, this is not necessary.