How to remove tile adhesive from rendered brick wall?

Hey guys!
I am doing a whole kitchen demo which has included removing some ugly green tiles from the wall. It has left behind a lot of adhesive. Given it’s a fairly sizeable area and over rendered brick, could I please have some advice on products or tools that would help me get ride of this the fastest?

I bought some of the blush pink subway tiles from bunnings to replace the green ones!

I have had asbestos testing done 🙂

Find more posts tagged with

Tools and Materials

Repairing

Renovation

Tiling

Accepted answers

All comments

Dave-1

Good Afternoon @EllieBee

Yah to getting rid of the old tiles and even some more yahs to having a nice cleanish surface to work with 🙂

Ive only ever removed tiles off plasterboard and yeah ended up replacing plasterboard. 😕 Yours looks like its brick and concrete?

Have youtried using a paint scraper on the old glue? Even with a mallet to tap at it so its driven along the surface. If it is solidly set and not rubbery then potentially you could put new glue straight over it? (Its just an idea that ive seen people do, not sure how wise it is) I figure if its still holding strong after removing the old tiles then potentially it will stay that way. If its a rubbery glue then Id say it has to go.

So tools Id use,

Paint scrapper (maybe 5 - 7cm wide blade)

Mallet for tapping.

Wire brush for powered drill,

Saftey Specs for sure.

Probarly a mask.

Dave

EricL

Hello @EllieBee

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @Dave-1. Just to add to the suggestions made I also recommend the use of a belt sander. Using an 80grit sanding belt will make short work of the old adhesive on your wall. However, please note that if too much force is applied the sander will dig into the substrate of the wall and create a deep channel or a hole. Please be mindful on how much force you apply to the sander.

My best suggestion is to cover everything with drop sheets and fixing it in place with masking tape. The entire area will be covered in dust and debris. If you can block off the rooms, I strongly suggest you do it as well. Please remember to wear personal protection such as throw away overalls, gloves, goggles and a proper mask respirator that you can wear long term.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

EllieBee

Thanks Eric and @Dave-1!

Could I potentially use an orbital sander with the 80 grit?
Or failing that, are there any cleaning products that might be able to brick down the adhesive to make it easier to scrape off?

Dave-1

Good Morning @EllieBee

I dont see why you couldnt give it a go with the obital sander tho think the action of a belt sander would be better. Less likely to clag up and more directional is my thinking.

Paint thinners or acetone you could try using to soften/remove the glue as well tho at this point Im just dr googling 🙂

Dave

JacobZ

Hi @EllieBee,

It looks like a solvent-based adhesive as opposed to cement-based, so acetone, like @Dave-1 mentioned would be the way to go.

Ensure you follow the instructions on the label closely and make sure you wear long protective clothing, gloves, eye protection and a mask while working with acetone.

You should be able to remove the majority of the adhesive using acetone and a scraper. Anything that is left can be removed with an abrasive, but make sure you wear a mask and eye protection as there is the potential for harmful airborne dust.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

EllieBee

Thanks @JacobZ and @Dave-1. I’ll pick up a bottle of acetone on one of my next outings to bunnings (going at least twice a week at the moment 😆).
I’m renovating a whole apartment and have a few projects on the go at a time.

EllieBee

the acetone is not cutting the mustard 🙁 any other suggestions?

MitchellMc

How'd you go with the 80-grit sandpaper @EllieBee? You don't need to get all the adhesive off; just give it a good scratch-up. Once it's sufficiently abraded, do a test tile. Check it after 48 hours to ensure it is firmly attached and can't be pulled off. If it's well stuck, tile the rest of the area.

Mitchell

Child Item