What is the best way to remove wall tiles from the bathroom?

Question

What is the best way to remove wall tiles from the bathroom?

Answer 1

I presume you want to save them?

Easiest way I have found is an old 1" chisel and a wooden mallet. Once you have the first one off, just tap into the open edge and prise gently.

Answer 2

Hammer drill with a Broad chisel bit if not then use a normal lump hammer and chisel but be prepared for a long slog you will need work gloves and saftey glasses either way ripping out tiles is no fun

Answer 3

an axe

Answer 4

sledge hammer!

Answer 5

hammer drill

Answer 6

You can try various methods to save the drywall behind the tile, but you will not be very successful or easy.  You can pry the tiles off and then there are chemicals that will melt the glue.  You will damage the drywall no matter what you do and it takes a lot of time and patience to go this route.  I would suggest you simply remove the everything down to the studs (including drywall).  Then replace it with green board or cement board and go from there.

Answer 7

I am assuming you are removing them all and are planning to throw them away.

Cover the floor and fixtures. Get some goggles and strong gloves to protect you from shards. Get a steel punch like a marking punch or a star drill or a cold chisel. Bash a tile in the center and then use a chisel or steel spatula to remove the parts that did not fall off. Then proceed to an adjacent one until you have a line of them off.

Now see if you can loosen the next row of  tiles with a steel chisel or spatula along the top edge. If not go back to bashing. Be careful near the floor and fixtures so you don't break anything you want to keep When they are all off the wall you will probably need to chisel any remaining adhesive, grout, or cement off the wall to get a smooth surface. You might need to patch the backer board if it is nicked.

Answer 8

a wallpaper scraper or a chisel

Answer 9

use a brick cutting chisel,can't think of the name at the moment it has a flat blade Appox.  3 inches wide.   codger

Answer 10

You can tile over them using the right adhesive, if its tiles that you are replaceing them with

Answer 11

Just try and lever them off - but its what comes away with them. get the skimming plaster ready! Just doing our downstairs loo and the mess ...............arggggggggggg

Answer 12

flathead screwdriver and a hammer

Answer 13

a light weight kango , with wide chisel bit , I can clean off a complete bathroom of tiles in under 1 hr with one, wear goggles and gloves

plumber / bathroom fitter

Answer 14

if taking them off one by one then a good stiff 4 inch putty knife and hammer will work. ..start the putty knife just behind a tile a tap the putty handle knocking off the tile....if u don't mind taking the wall with it then a heavy hammer will work

Answer 15

I have always just removed the entire wall.  That is to say I have removed the drywall behind the tiles as well as the tiles.  In the case of lath and plaster I have removed that as well.  

Then I put up either hardy board or dura rock behind the new tile and green board on the rest of the wall.

This may seem like  "overkill" , but once you remove the old tiles you still will have the mastic (glue) residue left on the wall.  this is almost imposable to clean off.  It is faster, easier , and cheaper to just replace the wall board.

Answer 16

Cold chisel and hammer. Use at an angle between the tiles, then you won't do too much damage to the plaster underneath.

Answer 17

Hammer and bolster. Or if they are that well stuck you can tile over them. Wear gloves and goggles as fragments can be dangerous.