re-tile kitchen wall old house - what is this?

[ramonesfreak]

Im pulling off the tile backsplash in kitchen so we can re-tile once our new counter top is installed next week.

Here is what is behind the tiles. What is this?

it feels like cement. House build in 1950. Had to fix another wall in kitchen and it was the same stuff so, seems the entire interior is this stuff

I had a contractor here doing something and I mentioned I want him to re-tile. He said no problem, he would just cut out the area and put some drywall in its place before installing tile, BUT - that was before I realized what was behind it. I think he thought he would just be cutting out drywall and replacing with new drywall

Can this stuff just be cut out? I cant lay new tile down on this uneven surface

Basically I need to know what this stuff is so when I call around looking for someone to do the work, I can explain exactly what they will be dealing with

[Cooper911SC]

Looks like lath and plaster. It’s a trowel finished plaster wall.

After it’s stripped you could possibly put Hardy backer over or do a fresh coat of troweled cement to smooth out and then tile on top.

Second thought… it’s probably just scratch coated cement over wire mesh. Back splash area. Same way a shower is done.

[JackDidley]

If you try to break that out, you will likely find wire mesh embeded . Thats the way they did vertical tile back then.

[Skillet83]

Be careful when you get to the lath, wear gloves. Will tear your hands up.

[Racerbvd]

Looks like poop.

[A930Rocket]

^^^ The guys nailed it. Cement or something similar over a wire lath. I imagine it’s going to be a ***** to take that down. I would look at YouTube for solutions.

[ramonesfreak]

The tile was put there probably around 1990 based on some records the prior owner left

And I’m reading you can’t install tile on drywall because of mold so the contractor I was thinking of using may not know what he’s talking about

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by Racerbvd

Looks like poop.

You got that right. Does everyone’s wife get them into this BS?

[VINMAN]

Looks like a layer of mud/portland under the tile mortar. Very common.

.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

The tile was put there probably around 1990 based on some records the prior owner left

And I’m reading you can’t install tile on drywall because of mold so the contractor I was thinking of using may not know what he’s talking about

I’m sure there are better ways, but we install tile on drywall every day.

[ramonesfreak]

Ok good to know

I think I’m gonna just do this myself. Get all tiles off, buy an oscillating tool with scraper attachment and scrape it level, patch any holes, skim coat to a smooth surface and then tile. Hopefully I get it right and wife is happy :-)

[ramonesfreak]

for any holes i create when pulling tile can I just use joint compound to fill them?

I guess I would be using Thinset as a final step to level before putting tile on

[A930Rocket]

I recently had to remove tile on a backsplash and used my oscillating tool. It made quick work, but I was pulling it off drywall. Maybe give it a go first and see what happens.

[ramonesfreak]

I’ve pulled a few off with a pry bar and hammer. It works but it is slow and damaging as you can see from photo. If I am buying an oscillating tool anyway, i might as well get it before I remove tiles so I can try it to remove the tiles

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

You got that right. Does everyone’s wife get them into this BS?

Not everyone.













Some people are single, or widowers.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

for any holes i create when pulling tile can I just use joint compound to fill them?

I guess I would be using Thinset as a final step to level before putting tile on

If you are pulling off at least 1/4" of plaster, you can put back 1/4" cement board or hardy backer to level it. Or if it's a large format tile you can probably set it using prolite mortar to fill in the gaps, up to 3/4"

[dad911]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

I’ve pulled a few off with a pry bar and hammer. It works but it is slow and damaging as you can see from photo. If I am buying an oscillating tool anyway, i might as well get it before I remove tiles so I can try it to remove the tiles

SDS hammerdrill with a wide chisel, getting behind the tile, parallel to the wall.

[drcoastline]

Looks like old school lath and plaster. if you damage it, simply remove the lose pieces, vacuum out the damaged area to remove any dust and particles and patch with cement.

Once you get an area started you may find running a floor scraper will make removal easier. They are designed to remove tiles from concrete floors. They look much like a drywall knife but with a much heavier blade.

[cabmandone]

Buy the dry mix 45 or 60 minute compound and patch any spots that need patched. That's the old rock hard plaster that they used in old homes. The stuff that looks like concrete I believe is called the scratch coat which allows the thin finish coat to adhere. You almost need to use a hammer drill to go through the stuff. I removed that stuff from most of my home except for the ceilings and kitchen walls when I did my remodel. I had new granite tops and new backsplash installed a few years ago. I used the fast setting compound to repair any damage. Why? It sets fast and it's really hard once dry.

[ramonesfreak]

Thanks guys