How to Demolish Tile

Demolishing tile is often a dirty and tiring job.

Tile has been used as a durable surface for kitchens, bathrooms and wet rooms for a very long time. Often the tile was installed over thick metal-reinforced mortar beds that were designed to last. Because of the durability of this product it is often hard to remove. Removing or demolishing tile is a dirty and tiring job that takes a lot of strength and patience.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic sheeting
• Tape
• Ventilation fan
• Safety glasses
• Gloves
• Mask rated for silicates
• Chipping hammer
• 3 chisel sizes
• Transfer shovel
• Buckets
• Plastic garbage bags
• Crow bar
• Sledge hammer
• Masonry chisel
• Broom and dust pan
• Shop vacuum

Instructions

1. Remove everything from the room where the demolition will occur. Use plastic sheeting and tape to seal off doorways from the rest of the house. Place a small fan in the window blowing dust away from workers. All workers should wear thick clothing, safety glasses, gloves and masks rated for airborne silicates. Keep children and animals away from the house.

2. Place a garbage can and transfer shovel in the room. If you are hauling debris to the dump you may want to use 5-gallon buckets to haul debris out of the room during demo.

3. Insert the tile demo chisel into a chipping hammer. These can often be rented at larger home stores. A chipping hammer is like a miniature electric jackhammer.

4. Insert the chisel end of the chipping hammer into a broken tile or grout joint. Turn the chisel on and work it in a circle until you create an opening. You may remove your tile layer first and go back to remove your metal-reinforced mortar second.

5. Crowbar mortar beds that start to pull away in sheets. A full-size crow bar can get under the mortar bed. Keep in mind that these sections will be very heavy and may require several men to remove from the room and into a truck. Use a masonry chisel and sledge to assist in dislodging stubborn sections.

6. Shovel up debris in an ongoing manner using a transfer shovel and buckets or garbage cans. Often it is helpful to have one worker simply removing debris out of the way of the demo. Try not to sweep until the demo is complete as you are trying to limit the amount of silicate dust in the air.

7. Clean the room completely before removing the plastic sheeting. Sweep up the remaining dirt and use a ventilated shop vacuum to clean every surface. Remove your plastic sheeting and place it in the discard pile to be disposed of.

Tips & Warnings

• Cover and haul your debris as soon as possible. Launder your clothing at a laundry mat to prevent getting dust mixed with your regular laundry.

• Ceramic and porcelain tiles are made of silicates. When broken these tiles can release large amounts of silicate dust that can cause disease and illness. Take all necessary precautions to prevent such injuries.

References

• This Old House: Demolish a Tiled Floor