I need to do a temporary fix for a sinking toilet. I'm trying to find the right tool to remove a small area of tile, adhesive, and thinset. The layers of flooring are:
- old floor
- 1/4" plywood
- cement board (at least I think it is — I can't really see it)
- thinset
- tile adhesive
- 9" square 1/4" ceramic tile
This only needs to last for about 6 months, so my plan is to:
- take out the toilet
- remove the 4 tiles around the waste pipe
- chisel out the cement, thinset, and adhesive
- cover the area with an 18" square piece of plywood
- replace the toilet
My question is: what would you use to chisel out the cement, thinset, and adhesive? I'd rent a demolition hammer, but I'm pretty sure that will wreck more than just 4 tiles worth. I've considered a hammer drill, a rotary hammer, or a chisel and a drilling hammer (i.e. manual), but I'm not sure if those are strong enough.
And, of course, the other (implicit) question is always: is this even a good idea?
Thank you!
Best Answer
For a small job like this I would use a hammer and a hand chisel like this Make sure to use safety glasses it is wild how far some of the chips can fly. I would inspect the Joist's on both sides of the toilet if the area has rot these may need to be repaired and part of the cause for the sinking. If you would like a new hammer drill most 1/2" models will work quite well in this application without the heavy impact of a hammer and chisel (home models).