How to Break Up a Tile Floor
Breaking up or removing a tile floor may seem intimidating when you are staring down rows upon rows of tile. It is a do-able job for the average homeowner, especially if you take the time to do a large room or area in sections. Pulling up the tile rather than placing another layer of tile or flooring over it sets the stage for a long-lasting and beautiful floor. It also allows you to make adjustments to the subfloor, such as leveling out uneven areas. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Put on protective gear, including safety goggles, a dust mask, gloves, a long-sleeve shirt and pants. Broken pieces of tile can act like projectiles and cause injury.
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2
Pry away molding from one side of the floor, such as in a doorway or between the tile and other flooring surface, if necessary. Use a pry bar to gently lift the molding up.
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Chisel away the grout from around one piece of tile at the edge of the floor by gently tapping the chisel with a hammer to chip away at the grout.
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Pry the tile up by slipping the putty knife under it and tapping gently with a hammer. If the tile breaks, put the putty knife under the remaining piece and continue to pry it up.
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Continue removing tiles using the same method until you have cleared out about 1 square foot of tile.
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Determine whether the tile is attached to a backboard or directly to the subfloor. If it is attached to the subfloor, continue prying each piece of tile away with the putty knife and hammer until all the tile is removed. If it is attached to a backboard, punch a hole through the backboard using the hammer.
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Pry the backboard up by inserting the pry bar in the hole and using it to lift the backboard away from the subfloor.
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Remove the rest of the tile by inserting the pry bar under the edge of the next section of backboard and lifting it away from the subfloor. Continue the process to break up and remove all of the tile.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a floor scraper to remove several tiles attached to the subfloor at once after you have removed enough tiles to work comfortably with the floor scraper.
Work carefully around cabinets, baseboards and woodwork to avoid damaging them with the chisel, other tools or pieces of flying tile.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
