Backstory: I can put this off no longer. I have a small bathroom off the master bedroom that has a mud floor shower which started leaking into my daughters bedroom downstairs in the fall of 2019. Sparing you the long story of contractor troubles; suffice to say, I'm going to have to set out to do this on my own. I need a total (or close to total) demo, and re-tile of the whole bathroom. The good news is, it's very small. The bad news is, it's 1962 tile on a few inches of concrete, on metal lath.

I have purchased the tile and fixtures. My plan is to take two weeks of half days with working from home, and hopefully that'll get it done. I'm not afraid to buy new tools, nor to work hard, and I'm fairly handy. Though not so much with plumbing. I'll definitely hire a plumber for hookups. I am afraid of disastrous mess, and HVAC challenges if I open the attic ceiling.

A few ideas I have that lead to questions.

1. As you can see in the shower, I've managed to knock a few tiles off the concrete. If I were able to do that well enough, can I mastic the tiles down in this concrete surface with some sort of gap filling mastic? This assuming nothing is protruding (old chunks of tile), but that there may be varying pock marks and craggy holes.

2. Can I tile over tile? I've heard Mapei Eco Prim Grip can be used to tile over tile. Anyone here ever tried this with good success? I'm mostly hoping to avoid taking out the ceiling over the shower because the attic is a filthy mess.

3. Another idea for the ceiling of the shower, -- can I bust out holes at the studs and affix a new sheet of board and then tile over that?

I'll stop at that for now. Thank you guys!

Without being there to see how involved the demo would actually be, in my experience as a homeowner and remodeling an older home, I would be inclined to just demo back to the studs and start with a clean install using modern waterproofing installation techniques. That way you can erase any doubt of those "what ifs" etc. Plis in the long run, it actually may be quicker just to gut the whole thing rather than try and match substrate thickness, ensure there is no flex for the tile, proper adhesion, etc. Just my thoughts.

I second Bulldog's remarks. Rip it all out.

quote:

Originally posted by Bulldog:
Without being there to see how involved the demo would actually be, in my experience as a homeowner and remodeling an older home, I would be inclined to just demo back to the studs and start with a clean install using modern waterproofing installation techniques. That way you can erase any doubt of those "what ifs" etc. Plis in the long run, it actually may be quicker just to gut the whole thing rather than try and match substrate thickness, ensure there is no flex for the tile, proper adhesion, etc. Just my thoughts.

I agree. This way you know what’s there and it will be a better and faster job. Be sure you use the proper cement backer board on the walls or consider using a Schleuter System..

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sch...f=pd_sl_9thfwqymhv_e

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
I second Bulldog's remarks. Rip it all out.

^^^100%. If there was one thing I got from working with my grandfather for many years it was "do it right or don't do it at all".

1. No mastic. Tiles should be mortar to wonderboard.
2. No, do not try to tile over tile. The mortar won’t have a good surface, numerous issues.
3. Yes, you can and should get to the studs and start fresh.

I would gut the whole thing. All the way to the studs and subfloor. Then I would replace it all. I would also forgo the wonderboard and tile, and I would get a fiberglass shower pan, and composite marble slabs for the shower wall.
Install green drywall (1/2” above shower pan), setup drain connection, pour mortar, seat fiberglass pan, add wall marble. Just caulk the seams with silicone and Bob’s your uncle.

So much less labor and a much nicer shower.

I just demo'd a fiberglass shower and had a custom tile shower installed . I took everything down to the studs . The tile guy used the Schluter products to build the shower enclosure and I have no doubt it will never leak .The job wasn't cheap but there are times when peace of mind is priceless .

I somewhat recently redid a 60s era bathroom and I would echo the sentiments of going down to the studs. One thing that I learned for the floor tile is to get a small space demoed and then put a crowbar under the edge of the tile and start to pry up just to put some upward pressure on the tile. You should then be able to take a hammer and easily break the tile a foot or so out from where you are prying. I then used a sawzall with a metal blade to cut through the wire mesh that held stuff together. My floor was 1”x1” tile so yours may come up easier.

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by mcrimm:
I second Bulldog's remarks. Rip it all out.

^^^100%. If there was one thing I got from working with my grandfather for many years it was "do it right or don't do it at all".

My brother from another mother - and same grandfather!

Tear out to stud (remove all the purple tile - please! lol). Cement backer board and other techniques for water sealing. Replace all tile with a more modern and timeless style.

I demoed a 1955 bathroom. The tile was set in concrete over lath. I used an air hammer with the muffler cutting tool attached. Took quite a while, but down to bare studs is the way to go. The studs were petrified. It was a bitch, but turned out well.

Another vote for the Schluter system. Used it and it works great. Did walk in shower and all tiling and plumbing myself.
Tearing out to the studs is certainly the way to go. You would hate to do all the effort and have it come out wrong - every time you use it you think about what SHOULD have been done.

While the studs are exposed figure out where you want hand rails/safety seat, etc. for the “old folks” that will be using the shower. I think I installed 5/8” plywood (cut in and screwed flush with the studs) so I could later install a stainless steel handrail screwed through the tile into the plywood. I wanted the rail to support a LOT of body weight if there was a need. Someone slips I did not want the rail coming loose. Make notes on paper where the plywood reinforcement is. Pix on you phone tend to disappear in the “cloud”. The notes will let you find the plywood later without drilling extra holes in your nice tile. A little bigger piece of plywood is some insurance you will hit it. If you carefully measure stud location and include tile, concrete board and mortar thickness you might get lucky and be able to screw the handrail directly into the studs. Plywood set into the studs is a much easier target.
My shower floor is flush at the edge of the bathroom floor. No curb to step over. Shower pan is by Schluter and is sloped away from the floor toward the drain. No tripping hazard for the “old folks” and no, we don’t flood the bathroom when taking a shower. It could even be labeled as “handicapped accessible”.
Do it right.

My wife and I have remodeled several old houses. Some of the older houses have Portland cement on wire lath in shower/tub areas. I spent a lot of time with a sledge and jackhammer and masonry cutting disks cutting that back-respirator required as things are in that mix that will harm eyes and lungs. Seal the bathroom off with plastic sheeting as the dust you make will otherwise end up covering the entire house. I agree with cutting everything out, back to the studs, and build back new with modern waterproofing materials and plumbing. Trying to patch leaks in old masonry and trying to tie into old plumbing is likely to not end well. Hiring a plumber to make any connections that are going to be buried in the wall is smart. I have also learned that when possible, leave an access panel to the valves from the back side from an adjoining room.

I have done countless bathrooms. I agree to rip everything out.
Do yourself a favor go on Amazon and get the U shaped tile spacers for the wall tile. Those little rubber spacers suck.
Also prepare yourself for a rotted subfloor around the toilet. If not; great but you never know.
Its not a big deal to fix either.

When it comes to plumbing the shower diverter get the one with the valves in it already. This way when the mixing cartridge in the unit fails all you need to do is turn those little valves instead of the whole house water supply.

+4 (5?) to "demo it to the studs and redo with the Schluter system".

I don’t know anything about the Schluter system, but I do know that tile is not waterproof. The purpose of the tile is to protect and beautify the actual waterproofing underneath. If what you have is leaking, tiling over won’t solve your problem. Rip it all out and start from the studs.

Thanks everybody. I was hoping that there'd be an easier way, but I was needing a definitive answer, so I could get started. Seems I have it.

Second part of the question --- What's the best method and tools to take this 2+" concrete on thick steel lath out? (realizing a few pointers already in thread). Also, what masks or respirator should I get and where?

THANKS!!!!

When it comes to wire lath I would hammer out grooves in between each stud. Cut the lath with snips to the floor and the pull the remainder off the stud. Your lucky, it not that thick.

Do worry too much about the copper, its pretty forgiving. I never had a rupture.

If you have a window put a fan in it to suck out dust and have a shop vac around with a good filter.

Its nice to see you have wire lath on the other side!

quote:

Originally posted by Captain Morgan:
Its nice to see you have wire lath on the other side!

There's another bathroom on the other side. If I had a shower in the downstairs or basement, Ideally I'd do both at the same time. But I do not. If you think this bathroom is ugly, you should see the other one! (hint: Original 1962 teal, textured Glitter wallpaper!)

Had you been doing the other bathroom, getting a sledge hammer and knocking it all apart from this side would have been so easy.

I get it though, I just ripped apart two bathrooms for a client. One was upstairs and one right below. They are in their 80's so it was rough for them going up and down stairs to bath an whatnot.

I had a similar experience demoing my bathroom. I ended up using a diamond blade on my angle grinder and cutting it in to manageable strips and prying it off. I cut between the studs and I could rock it back and forth off the studs.
Definitely wear eye protection and wear a mask.