Removing Wall Tiles Without Breaking

Start by removing all the grout using a grout saw rotary cutter oscillating tool or utility knife.

Removing wall tiles without breaking.

How to remove ceramic floor tile without breaking it. Protect your eyes and lungs from ceramic dust particles by wearing safety goggles and a heavy duty dust mask. Cut away the grout surrounding the tile or tiles that you want to remove. Next position a chisel in the grout line under the bottom of the tile and tap it gently with a hammer to see if the tile will pop loose be careful not to chip or crack the adjoining tile.

Use a grout removing tool to remove the grout around the entire perimeter of the tile. Pay particular attention to areas around doors and windows where decorative moldings and edging strips change direction. By working along the edge there are always two edges. Ceramic is a type of glass.

There are a myriad of tools designed for this job which include grout saws carbide tipped tools and a grout removing bit that works in a dremel tool. Tiles installed with thinset or another tile adhesive often require more work to remove them. Be careful to cut away only the grout and not into the wall. The first tile is generally much harder than the rest.

Once those tiles loosen pry them off. Have an assistant wearing leather gloves catch the tiles as they come away before they fall. They are often secured with less adhesive. In order to remove wall tiles one needs several tools.

Finally chisel away the title with a cold chisel and remove any loose mortar. Work slowly and at about a 45 degree angle. A wide blade putty knife is helpful in prying the tiles loose. A hammer a good chisel with two ends and a scraper.

If the tiles break instead of coming away try an air chisel instead. If the tiles are firmly attached you may not be able to remove them without breaking but here s how to give it a try. Using a cold chisel and hammer to remove a ceramic tile. Once the side walls are removed remove the back wall of tiles by breaking tiles in a vertical line with a hammer then prying the exposed edge.

Take your time to tap out the first one then attack the exposed. Work it left and right to loosen the nails holding the drywall in. When you believe you have removed or cut away most of the grout stop and examine your work. Of course that you can do this operation mechanically by using a drill machine with hammering function but if you want to remove the tiles without breaking them it is better to do it by hand.

Place a pry bar against this line and lever away large sections of the wall. The trick is to get the old tile out without damaging the surrounding tiles.