Removing Old Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles make an excellent wall or floor covering for kitchens, bathrooms and just about any other room in the house. These tiles are durable and resist scuffs and stains. A subfloor or concrete backer board usually anchors these tiles and a strong adhesive holds them in place, which makes it a bit of a challenge when it comes to removing them. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Plastic sheets/drop cloths
- Grout saw
- Rotary tool with mortar blade
- Prybar/crowbar
- Hammer
- Chisel
Instructions
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1
Move anything away fromt the tiles that may be in the way, such as furniture on a ceramic tile floor.
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2
Cover anything that you want to protect with a piece of plastic. Removing old ceramic tiles can become quite messy and flying pieces of tile can cause damage to furniture and other objects.
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3
Remove any molding around the edges of the room, if this is a ceramic tile floor. Insert a crow bar or pry bar between the wall and the molding. Gently pry the molding away from the wall. Try to avoid damaging the wall.
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4
Look for a broken tile or a piece of tile that is missing grout around the edges. This will make it easier to remove the first tile, as some of the work is already done for you. When removing old ceramic wall tiles, start on one of the tile edges, where it meets a non-tiled surface.
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5
Take a grout saw or a rotary tool with a mortar blade and remove the grout from around the first tile.
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6
Insert the edge of a pry bar or crowbar between the first tile and its neighbor. Press down on the crowbar until the tile begins to pry away from the wall or floor. Insert a wood shim or piece of plastic underneath the edge of the tile while it is away from the wall. Move to another side of the tile and continue to pry the tile away. Continue in this fashion until the tile comes loose.
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Hold a chisel to the edge of one of the adjacent tiles where the first tile was placed. Tap the chisel head with the hammer to drive the chisel between the tile and the wall or floor. If needed, saw away the grout between the tiles to make removal easier.
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8
Continue chiseling away at the tiles until the wall or floor is clear.
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