How To Remove Old Ceramic Tile Floor

Chip out a single row of tile down the length of the floor and another row across the width with the intersection of the two rows somewhere in the middle of your floor.

How to remove old ceramic tile floor.

However you can usually remove ceramic floor tiles without breaking them as long as you are very careful and use the proper materials. If there are no cracks or loose grout you can hit a tile with the chisel so that it breaks. Always wear safety glasses when removing ceramic tile. Keep in mind that the easiest solution of all is to leave the old tile in place and install new tile directly over the old.

Salvaging ceramic tiles is never guaranteed as they can break easily. This time we show you the do s and don ts in floor removal plus learn some important installation tips from the mistakes the last installer made. Removing ceramic floor tile is tedious and rigorous especially if you are planning on reusing them. Remove baseboards or trim work around the room.

Stripping all the ceramic tiles from a wall or floor rather than just trying to remove one or a small number will also be easier simply because you re not worrying about damaging the surrounding tiles. For about 20 you can buy a floor scraper a broom size tool with an angled steel head used to strip off layers of flooring material. Often the tool is useful for dislodging the flooring material from the adhesive. Remove ceramic tile from plywood if the tile is stuck to plywood the strategy is a little different.

To remove floor tile start by finding a spot on the floor where the grout is coming loose or the tile is chipped away. The new floor will be slightly higher so you ll have to trim the door and extend the toilet ring. Use a ball peen or masonry hammer and cold chisel to tap the pieces free. In some cases the only way to tear out the ceramic tile is with heavy equipment such as a jackhammer or air chisel.

Remove any appliances or built in furniture like cabinets if possible. Taking care when removing the trimwork allows it to be reinstalled when a new floor is installed after the tile floor is removed. Depending on where they are and how they re installed removing ceramic tiles can be either a nightmare or a relatively simple job requiring little effort. Equipment for removing old tile.