removing a single row og 4 X 4 cermaic tile???

16 years ago

I have a new medicine cabinet that is 30 inches tall. The 20 year old one its repalcing was only 26" tall. Tile butts up against the bottom of the old one. I do not want the new one to be 4 inches higher than the old so I need to remove some tile; essentially I want to leave the two end tiles and remove about 7 middles ones. Then I can drop the new cabinet down 4 inches. How difficult is this to do without damaging the tile end tiles (left and right) and all tiles below the first row? What procedure would one use? I have a little dremmel type tool with discs. Am I better off hangining the medicine cabintet on top the lower 4" if tile and shimming it above then attaching it to the wall; I'd have a 1/4+ gap to fill then I guess. Sugegstions?

Below, M = medicine cabinet, X are tiles to be removed and K are tiles to keep, you can see where the new cabinet would fall into place:

.

.

.

. MMMMMM

. MMMMMM

.KXXXXXXXK

.KKKKKKKKK

.KKKKKKKKK

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andrelaplume2
Original Author

16 years ago

Well, I think I need to remove the tile no matter what unless I leave it high. I will hold it up and see how it looks. I just fear the light I put above it will look to close to the ceiling with the cabinet that high.

The backer board method will not work because the cabinet is designed to mounted with screws through two strips in running the length of the medicine cabinet. They are located at the top and bottom of the cabinet. Screwing through the bottom would require me to go through the tile. Perhaps I could pre drill a hole through the tile...It might crack though when tightening the screws, no?

O bought a little grout say thingy...maybe that will work, or my rotary tool. Hopefully romoving the grout will not cause the lower tiles to become loose. One the perimeted grout is removed, hopefully I can get a putty kniy and work it in from the top and pop them off.

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Comments (11)

davidandkasie
16 years ago
i would use the dremel with a grout removal bit to work around the tiles to be removed. once the grount is out, CAREFULLY pry them loose. if you do not remove the grout first, you may pull another row loose. also, if possible try to pry between teh tile and the thinset, not the thinset and the wall. this part may not be that easy, but if you can you should attempt it.
andrelaplume2
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, what is this grout removeal bit? I have a black and decker type too with spinning cut off discs. These seemed to go thru a the grout on a test area but was time consuming. Can you describe the grout bit and I'll look for it.
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ron6519
16 years ago
Are these tiles installed with a mud job or over sheetrock? Once you remove the tile you will need to do a little framing on the bottom after you remove the existing bottom plate.
One other issue that could be a deal breaker, the vent pipe behind the wall. Before you start demoing this, make sure it isn't run too high that it interferes with the cabinet install.
Ron
andrelaplume2
Original Author
16 years ago
Let me better descibe...

The current medicine cabinet is 30" w and 26" h, is NOT recessed and sits on top series of rows of 4 X 4 tiles which act as a backsplash for the sink below. The cabinet appears to be secured with 4 screws to two studs 16" apart. I assume a vent pipe is in the center and yes, I drilled thru one of those once which is why I am being so cautious!

The new cabinet is 30"w X 30"h or 4 inches taller. It will NOT be recessed either. If I mount it just above the top row of 4 X 4 tiles I am afraid it will be too high. I guess there are two solutions.

1) Pop out some of the 4 X 4 tiles so the new cabinet can shift down 4 inches. I have no idea how the tiles are adhered to the wall. I assume over drywall. I was just at HD and the guy there thought I might get the tiles off but it might take some drywall or drywall paper with it; ie they might not just pop off. He felt this could be a moisture issue even if a medicine cabinet would cover the mess left behind.

2)The scond option would be to drop the lower end of the new cabinet down 4" and on top the row of tile I was thinking of removing. Of course I'd have to put 2 or 3 rows of 30w X say 4" H by 3/8" thick shims in back of the cabinet to fill the gap cause by the tile. I could then mount the new cabinet and secure with screw through the cabinter, through the shims and into the studs with 4 or six screws. That leaves me with approx 3/8" gap around parts of the permiter of the cabinet (sides/top) but not at the base that is sitting flush against the tile

No one would ever see the gap at the top. Nor would they see the gap on the right side since the right side is inches from the corner of the room. I would have to put a piece of quarter round down the left side of the cabinet to hide the gap there though. HOWEVER, would this not also be a mositure issue, having a gap around the top and right side?

Ideas?
hendricus
16 years ago
Easiest is to just buy a piece of plywood or drywall and fill in the space completely. At Menards we can buy 2x2, 2x4 or 4x4 pieces of plywood any thickness or damaged drywall and cut what you need.
andrelaplume2
Original Author
16 years ago
Yea, the only downside is that the back 3/8 will not match the medicine cabinet. Still this is likely what I will do.
davidandkasie
16 years ago
the grout removal bit has a knot at the end of it with little bumps all over it. even walmart carries them. you can get them alone or in a kit with other attachments. i paid about 20.00 for a set of about 50 attachments at lowes last year.

you could do as suggested above and just put a sheet of plywood behind it to even it out. paint the edges to match the cabinet and no one would even know it is there.

lastly, i would hold the cabinet up and see what it looks like. although you think it may be too high, keep in mind tha tonly the top will be higher than the existing.
hendricus
16 years ago
Sounds like my cabinet except I only have the top strip. When building the wall I placed boards where the top of the cabinet fastens and used screws every six in. and only two at the bottem to keep it from swaying out. All the holding power is at the top.

If the tiles break, so what, you're going to cover them anyway and if you remove them some will also break.
andrelaplume2
Original Author
16 years ago
I suppose...we'll se how it goes this weekend!
HU-832327864
last year
did you end up doing this without breaking adjacent tiles?

removing a single row og 4 X 4 cermaic tile???

andrelaplume2
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removing a single row og 4 X 4 cermaic tile???

andrelaplume2Original Author

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davidandkasie

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ron6519

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hendricus

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