Removal of natural stone floors
Natural stone such as slate, granite, limestone, sandstone, and other materials are some of the most difficult flooring to remove. Unfortunately there is no way around it, the process involves a considerable amount of time and manual work if you want to get it right.
The first thing you should do is remove and base any moldings you may have. This can be done using a lever, leaning against a piece of wood. The wood is glued to the wall to protect the drywall from damage.
Once you’ve removed the trim, you should inspect the floor to see if it already has loose tiles or weak grout lines. If it is possible to remove any of the flooring material by hand, do so and use this as a starting point for the entire process.
The actual process of removing shingles is done with a chisel and hand mallet. The chisel should be placed on the grout lines and tapped in such a way as to create an opening where it can reach the two adjoining tiles. If necessary, a small lever can be used to lift particularly strong parts.
If you are going to reuse the subfloor under the tile, be very careful not to damage it with the chisel. Once the tile is laid, the bottom layer will probably need to be sanded to remove the tough stone adhesives used.
Since removing natural stone is so difficult, the subfloor is often removed and replaced along with it. This saves time as you don’t have to go slow and worry about damage to this layer. It also means that tough stone stains don’t have to be chiseled or sanded, as they can only be removed with the lower level.