Removing Tile Yourself Can Save You So Much Money on Your Home Reno—How to Do It
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As tile ages, it can become worn, faded, stained, cracked, and broken, indicating that it's time for an upgrade. Before installing new tiles, you'll need to remove the old ones, which you can do yourself to save money on your home reno. This process does take time, but it's relatively straightforward.
Learn how to remove tile in six steps, then set aside a full day or even a weekend to tackle this project.
What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
- Hammer
- Mallet
- Masonry chisel
- Grout saw
- Angle grinder
- Floor scraper
- Broom
- Shop vac
Materials
- Painter's tape
- Plastic sheeting
- Contractor trash bags
Instructions
How to Remove Tile
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Prepare the Area
Remove any furniture, decorations, or fixtures which may impede the process, such as moving the toilet to access the tile floor in a bathroom. Next, close the vents in the work area, open any windows, and seal off the doorways with plastic sheeting to prevent dust and debris from escaping.
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Choose a Starting Point
If there are any semi-permanent fixtures that needed to be removed, like a toilet or vanity, then a bare edge of the tile will be exposed. This edge is an ideal starting point for the tile removal project.
If the tile does not have a bare edge, then you will need to choose a starting point for the job. Start in one corner, using a hammer and chisel to break the grout and remove a tile to create your starting point for prying up the rest of the tiles.
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Loosen and Remove Old Grout
There are a few ways to go about loosening and removing the old grout. As you work, throw away chipped pieces of grout and clean up excess dirt and debris with a shop vac.
- For smaller jobs, use a hammer or mallet and a masonry chisel to break up and remove the grout.
- For larger jobs, you can use a grout saw to cut along the edges of the grout, or use an angle grinder to break up and remove the grout, or any other grout removal tools. In rare cases, you may need to use a drill equipped with a chisel attachment to loosen and remove the old grout.
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Remove Tiles
Drive a masonry chisel under each tile to pry them off the adhesive or mortar. Work carefully if you want the tiles to remain unbroken. If you are removing the tile from a floor, it may be easier to use a floor scraper to pry up the tiles.
Tiles that are attached with adhesive lift off relatively easily, but tiles attached with mortar are significantly more stubborn, so you may need to use substantial force with a hammer and chisel to break up and remove each tile.
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Scrape Away Remaining Grout, Mortar, or Adhesive
Use a chisel or floor scraper to remove the remaining grout, mortar, or adhesive from the underlying surface. Be prepared to spend a decent amount of time on this part of the project.
Grout and mortar will come off in chunks, but you may need to use an angle grinder to wear down any stubborn pieces that remain. Work carefully to avoid damaging the underlying surface.
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Clean Up
Use a broom to gather up large pieces of debris, then fold the plastic sheeting in toward the center trap any loose bits, before throwing the plastic sheeting into a contractor bag for disposal.
Next, use a shop vac to remove any debris that may have gotten stuck in the corners or crevices. Once the area is clean, inspect the underlying surface for any damage that may need to be repaired before installing the new tiles.
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How do professionals remove tile floors?
Professionals may use a drill equipped with a chisel attachment to break through grout lines or even break up tiles that are installed on a concrete floor. An angle grinder or oscillating tool can be used to ground down grout lines, allowing you to drive a chisel under the tiles to remove them from the floor.
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Can you remove tile without damaging the walls?
As long as the original installation was done properly and the tile removal job is carried out carefully, then it is possible to remove tile without damaging the walls.
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Is it better to remove tiles or tile over?
In most cases, it's better to remove the tiles instead of tiling over. This helps to ensure that the wall or floor is structurally sound and can support the weight of the tiles. Additionally, by removing and replacing the tiles you won't be adding to the amount of space the tiled wall, floor, or backsplash takes up.