Removing Thinset
Floor prep is one of the most important aspects of laying a tile floor, or any floor covering for that matter. If you do not take the time to completely clean your floor whether it be a peer and beam foundation, or a concrete foundation, your installation job will not last.
If you have existing tile and are tearing it up to replace it with a new modern looking tile, one problem many people have is not removing the tile itself, but removing the thinset. Removing the thinset can be extremely difficult. There are special tools specifically designed to help you remove thinset from the floor.
Usually when thinset is left behind on the floor, it is stuck extremely well. Some of the tools you can use to help remove thinset are a floor scraper, a hammer drill, or a pneumatic chipper. A 4 inch pan scraper will usually work for small amounts of thinset on the floor. However if you have large amounts of thinset to remove, you will be better off using an electric power tool such as a hammer drill, or a pneumatic chipper.
It is really important that you remove the thinset completely, leaving any amount of thinset on the ground will make it difficult while trying to install the new tile over it. Remember having a flat foundation is the key to a good tile installation job.
Hilti, Boch, and Milwaukee make some great electronic chipping hammers that will help you remove thinset quickly efficiently, and somewhat easily. However, even with these power tools it is still extremely hard work and you should be prepared to sweat. Removing thinset can sometimes take as long as it takes to actually lay the tile. But remember removing the thinset is an important part of the tile installation, and needs to be done correctly.
[...] you have removed all pieces of the tile, you need to clean floor clean down to the foundation by removing thinset that is left behind. Once the floor is completely clean, you can re-spread new thinset down, lay [...]