Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

DIY

Tilemageddon: The Removal

February 20, 2014

Monday we were able to get all the carpet torn out of the main floor and the tack strips up and last night tile demo started. When I say "we" unfortunately I am excluded from all the fun while trying to keep this baby of ours in and Greta downstairs. But I did peek up a few times to snap photos and cheer Chris and his two buddies on last night as they demo'd the tile. We were expecting the worst when it came to the time-table (as in no less than several hours over a couple nights), but they got all the tile up in the great room in an hour. We were thrilled with how swiftly the job went!

photo 1

There is still tile to be removed in the laundry room and the hall bath, as well as under the kitchen appliances, but we're celebrating this big chunk of a victory.

photo 2

We bought a handful of tools (hammer, ceramic floor scraper, pry bar) to tear up the tile, but the one that was passed around amongst all three guys was this 42" wrecking bar we found at Home Depot. Chris used it like you would a shovel. Sliding the pointed end under the tile and then push down a little bit. Repeat in neighboring sections. And then the tile would pry up in larger sheets. They were convinced that if all three men had a wrecking bar they could have cleared the area in 20 minutes.

68cf0c5d-371b-4784-a40d-24e332306972_1000

I'll try to catch the process on video tomorrow night for anyone else faced with a sea of tile. There is a ton of debris and mortar to clean up and we ran into another issue with the subfloor that we're going to have to deal with. But if there's one lesson we learned from the whole tearing-up-the-tile task that we were dreading since we started planning this project 6 months ago, it is to just hunker down and do it. Don't try to find a way that's physically "easy" - just muscle your way through it. We wished we didn't fear the project as much as we did and just got to it. Paul Coelho puts it perfectly in his book, The Alchemist, "The fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself." We are living in chaos, yes. This project is huge and the timing is terrible. But, we're doing just fine tackling one part at a time and celebrating each accomplishment. Carpet free? Check. Tile gone? ...almost

P.S. Prints of last week's paint, Sprung, are now available in the Etsy shop and today is the last day to take 15% off ANY print using the code XOXO15.

— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. I so feel for you guys. We just did a tile demo last May and removed all 1800+ sq. feet of tile on our first floor which for some reason included 5 different styles/colors of tile. It was hideous and a tough job! But now that we are on the other side and have enjoyed our new floor (bamboo) for a few months, it was well worth it. I can't wait to see your results! :)

  2. Ah, I love it! Demolition is probably my favorite thing in the world. Can't wait to follow with you on this journey-we just finished tiling our kitchen (only about 270 sq feet) and although it was a complete pain, it was SO worth it! Your space is going to be awesome! (Get really good knee pads!! haha)

  3. Wow, great job!! I'm saving all of these helpful posts for the day that we move out of our city condo and buy a house and may need to do any of these things :)
    I thought of you this morning: do you ever look at One Kings Lane? They have a very similar rug to the beautiful purple one you have for the nursery and I know you mentioned possibly having a blue one in the living room...? Just wanted to point it out!
    Can't wait to see the finished product!

    1. We don't have a Bagster pickup anywhere near us, which is such a bummer because that would have been ideal. We did get a truck a few months ago, which has been great for hauling debris to our local transfer station to be sorted.

    1. We were talking about that as we fell asleep last night. It definitely feels like we have taken major steps back, but we're headed in the right direction and can't wait to be on the other end of things.

  4. Well this post answered my question from the other day! This renovation you're doing is so fun to follow, thanks for sharing.

    In a similar vein to your post about painting the ceiling, do you think now would be the time to paint the cabinets too (if you're planning on doing that as an interim step to replacing them eventually)? Or is that just tackling too much at once when there's no real benefit to doing that in conjunction with replacing a floor? Would you have done that prior to removing the floor if you were planning on doing that?

    I tend to snowball things and then get more overwhelmed or procrastinate even more - would appreciate your insight on the balance of diving right in vs. taking on too much.

    1. Haha! I totally know what you mean! Everything seems like it is snowballing right now. As for the cabinets, I thought about painting them, but I am glad we held off. All that tile debris could have damaged a paint job so we'll wait until we get the new floors in. BUT! I will say, last night we decided to demo ONE MORE THING before laying down the floors and I am hesitant, because--there's already so much mess--but now is the time to do it. Am I being obscure enough? Haha. Details to come Monday!

      1. Haha thanks for the reply! I guess some portion of a wall... ;) good luck with the plans!

        Best,
        Jackie

  5. I just found my way here from YHL, and this post could not have been more perfect! Our ENTIRE (albeit tiny) house is tiled. It's very South Florida, except we live in South Carolina... whomp whomp. Anyhow, we have been dreaming about/dreading the tile demo and new floor installation for a couple of years now. All of your concerns: the mess, the chaos, the subfloor...I share! Looking forward to reading more!

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

Decor

Home (Decor) for the Holidays

Our recently launched CLJ Shop is all abuzz with excitement for our gift guides (it's our FAVORITE time of the year!). But since our homes give main character energy too, we had to shine the light on holiday decor we're loving as well. We picked the most gorgeous, elegant, traditional decor we could find from […]
Holiday

Which Holiday Window Candles Are Right for You?

When it comes to decorating for Christmas, it doesn't feel like I've really "finished" the task until there are candles in each window. The glow at night is just the most classic, nostalgic holiday feeling. But now there are so many kinds of window candles to choose from—and some are better for certain situations than […]
A traditional Christmas tree with ribbon bows in the bonus room
Decor

The 5 Holiday Trends That I'm Loving for 2024

This is such a fun time of year to see what's out there for holiday trends. For one thing, bows have been everywhere lately, and they’re here to stay. I mean, bows are made for the holidays—you can put a bow on anything to make it feel festive! However, while I've had a flocked tree […]
Beautifully wrapped traditional presents stacked in a doorway
Gift Guides!

Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone in Your Life {2024}

Remember the thrill of unwrapping a gift that felt just right? Let's bring that magic back this holiday season!! Our curated gift guides for 2024 are filled with thoughtful picks that will make your loved ones feel special. That's what it's all about, after all! Whether you're shopping for your main guy, your clutch coworker, […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2024 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES