How to Remove a Tile Backsplash

The old tile needs to go before you can have the backsplash of your dreams.

Nothing makes you feel like you're in a new home more than a kitchen makeover. When you start your morning in a kitchen that looks old and tired, it doesn't exactly make you feel like jumping into a new day. A new backsplash can introduce lots of color and pizazz to help you jump start your days without a huge remodeling job. There is a bit of demo involved to remove the old tile, but smashing that ugly old backsplash can be a therapeutic first step to feeling better about your kitchen.

Things You'll Need

• Safety glasses
• Leather or suede gloves
• Hammer
• Long nail
• Sturdy putty knife
• Heavy paper or plastic
• Masking tape.

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Instructions

1. If the tiles are adhered right to your drywall, accept the fact that you will have to replace the sheetrock, too. If the surface wasn't prepped right, there's no way around it. The good news is that you can bust out your tile faster, since you don't have to worry about the wall condition. If you don't know what's behind the tile, go slowly.

2. Remove everything movable from countertops and floors. Cover the surfaces around where you're working with protective paper or plastic and tape in place. This is to protect surfaces from scratching, denting or pitting if tile fragments fly. Anything close by that could be damaged is best covered, including your sink and fixtures, stove top and under the counter appliances.

3. Put on your safety glasses.

4. Start with the middle of the backsplash and break it with a hammer. You don't need to pound it. Just a sharp tap should be fine. Once you get that tile broken, pry the pieces out with a flat screwdriver or chisel. When there's a big enough piece taken out, use a heavy-duty putty knife to shimmy under the tiles and lift out. These tiles should come out easily once your putty knife gets underneath them.

5. Clean up the tiles and pieces with your gloves on. If there are any left in good shape, you may be able to soak them in warm sudsy water and remove the adhesive on them and reuse them for another project. Your backsplash is gone and ready to be redone.

References

• Sophisticated Edge: How to Remove a Tile Backsplash
• Centsational Girl: Easy Tile Removal