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How to remove an old metal transition strip?

Hi all

I believe this is a transition strip from tiles to concrete, in a toilet. As per the photos, it is starting to flake and is very easy to peel. It is also raised. I'm wondering the best way to remove it, replace the current and put a stick on the tiles as I'm on a very tight budget. The house was built in 1950.

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EricL

Hello @mellis

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your transition strip.

Having had a closer look it appears to be lead flashing and the rest of it is still attached to the floor. Do you wish to remove all the flashing or are you looking to cover only the width of that stripped section? Just to give you an example, there is the Roberts 32mm x 0.825m Pewter Hammered Cover Strip Trim. This is meant to cover a width of 32mm but if the width is bigger then you'll need to get a wider transition strip.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1, @Nailbag and @AlanM52 for their recommendations.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

Dave-1

Good Evening @mellis

The strip does appear to be lead flashing of some kind, possibly installed into a wet area originally? If its just across the doorway then maybe use has caused it to lift, if it goes further then I would investigate it further just in case moisture has gotten underneath.

I like the coverstrip that @EricL has mentioned as as a budjet solition it hopefully will cover the roughness on the edge of the area.

Dave

Nailbag

Sorry @mellis I would need a wider shot photo to give some context as to whatI'm looking at to provide any advice.

Nailbag

mellis

Hi Nailbag

Wainting to take up the tils as well

mellis

Hi Eric

I want to remove the flashing and the tiles if possible.

The flashing is raised and we keep stubbing our toes on it!

mellis

Thanks, Dave.

It's the original toilet and there is nothing under the floorboards, so I'll check for moisture

MitchellMc

Hi @mellis,

The key issue here isn’t the metal strip itself, but the fact that you’ve got two different floor heights, with the toilet sitting on a raised platform. What you do next depends on what your end goal is. If you want the floor to be flat and continuous, you would need to remove or lower the raised section under the toilet, and that means pulling the toilet out and extensive grinding work. This is the only way to eliminate the step properly. If that’s outside the budget or effort you want to invest right now, then you’re better off working with the existing levels rather than fighting them. We can't simply raise the tiled area, as that pushes the height transition out to the doorway.

It’s also entirely possible the “tiles” in the lower section aren’t tiles at all but faux tiles created by running a trowel edge through the concrete to create grout lines. If that’s the case, you can tile directly over that surface after appropriate prep, which would raise the lower area slightly and help reduce the height difference to the toilet platform. Once that gap is reduced, a modern cover strip will sit more neatly and comfortably without the tripping issue you’re having now.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

AlanM52

Hi @mellis,

Maybe a row of transition tiles.

Cheers

mellis

So I got brave and removed the tiles; under them are floorboards, and it looks like floorboards around the toilet area, as well. It's relatively easy to peel and more like a rubber/lino.

For the time being, I was hoping to put some stick-on tiles over the top, if possible.

JacobZ

Hi @mellis,

Without knowing the type of flooring and considering the age of the house, I would be cautious, as there is some potential that it could contain asbestos. Before you go any further, I'd suggest you have the flooring tested to ensure you are not releasing anything hazardous into the air by removing it. It's always better to be safe than sorry.

I'm not 100% sure of the scope of what you are trying to achieve, so some clarification would certainly help.

Are you hoping to install the stick on tiles on the existing flooring, or the floorboards and concrete beneath it?

As @MitchellMc mentioned, if you were hoping to install flooring that runs through the doorway, the main issue is the differences in height. If so, then this height difference would need to be managed and we would need to see the extent of the lip to know what could be used.

I would start by confirming that it is safe to remove the flooring, then, when we can see what the difference in height is, we can assist further.

Jacob

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