Tile Removal From Concrete

Tile removal requires a few tools and a lot of elbow grease.

Whether you plan to remove a single tile from concrete or an entire room's worth, tile removal is hard work. Fortunately, tile removal requires few skills and, if you like breaking things, you might just have a good time at it. With a little elbow grease and the aid of demolition tools, you can pry or break up tiles, prepare the surface beneath for a new floor or repair a damaged tile.

Things You'll Need

• Grout removal tool
• Pry bar
• Hammer
• Stiff, 3-inch putty knife
• Dropcloth
• Sledgehammer or mini-sledge
• Floor scraper

Instructions

Single-Tile Removal

1. Run a grout removal tool's blade across the grout surrounding the damaged tile. Apply downward pressure to the tool as you push it back and forth along the grout lines--the action will scrape grout from the joint. Scrape and remove grout down to the concrete.

2. Set a pry bar's claw into the cleaned grout joint. Position the claw's edge between the concrete and tile to be removed. Gently tap the opposite end of the pry bar to set the claw in place between the tile and concrete. Deliver successively harder blows to the pry bar until the claw is at least halfway beneath the tile.

3. Pull the bar backward and down to pry the tile from the concrete. Pull slowly and firmly to avoid simply chipping the tile's edge. If the tile does not come free, remove the pry bar, reinsert it on the adjacent side of the tile and repeat the process. Pry the tile until it loosens and comes free from the concrete. Discard the removed tile.

4. Scrape adhesive or mortar from the concrete's surface, using a stiff, 3-inch putty knife. Use firm forward motion to run the blade across the concrete's surface. Check for bumps and scrape again, if necessary.

Large-Area Removal

1. Place a dropcloth over a portion of the tile floor--this keeps shards from flying and causing damage. Try to begin at a transition between tile and carpet or wood, such as a doorway, if possible. Smash the tiles beneath the cloth with a sledgehammer or, if the sledge is too heavy, use a mini-sledge.

2. Remove the dropcloth and discard the loose shards of ceramic tile beneath. Scrape remaining pieces of tile and mortar or adhesive from the concrete floor, using a floor scraper. Grip the scraper's handle and apply forward and downward pressure to force the blade beneath tile and adhesive.

3. Force the scraper beneath whole tiles in adjacent areas to remove without smashing. If desired, lay a dropcloth and smash tiles before scraping.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you have extra scraper blades in case of breaks.

• Tape off doorways and cover valuable items with painter's plastic--dust and debris are an inevitable part of demolition.

• Wear safety gloves, goggles and long sleeves.

References

• Ceramic Tile Institute of America: Concrete Repair and Preparation