Things You'll Need:
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Step 1
Close all doors or use plastic sheeting to contain the dust to the room being worked on.
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Step 2
Prying cement board with garden spadeStart in a doorway or where the ceramic tile floor meets another type of floor covering, if the tile is installed directly on a concrete floor. Use a putty knife or chisel and a hammer to tap along the grout lines. Holding the putty knife at an angle, continue around all edges of the tile, removing as much of the grout as possible. Lay a 3-inch putty knife as parallel to the floor as possible, and tap with a hammer. Drive the putty knife under the tile and pry upward. Continue this procedure until the tile can be lifted out. The tile may crack or break, be sure to wear safety glasses, a long sleeved shirt, dust mask and gloves.
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Step 3
Remove ceramic tile installed on cement board that has been nailed to the concrete floor, with some additional steps. Starting in a doorway, remove two or three tiles using the procedure in Step 2. When a small area of the cement board is exposed, use a hammer to break up the cement board. Use a straight-edged garden spade and push under both the cement board and tile as far as possible, then pry upward to break it loose from the concrete. Continue until all tiles and cement board is removed. Keep buckets or a trash can nearby and dispose of large pieces. Use a shop vacuum to clean small pieces and dust.
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Step 4
Remove tile on cement board that has been installed with screws by first prying up the tiles, as described in Step 2. Remove the tile, and then remove the screws from the cement board. Do not attempt to remove the cement board by prying, this is not only extremely difficult, but can damage the concrete floor, leaving holes where the screws have been pulled out.
