Removing Ceramic Floor Tiles - How to Remove Ceramic Tiles

Removing ceramic floor tiles is not an easy job and many of the homeowners avoid ceramic tile removal while renovating their house. Removal of ceramic tiles is a hectic and time-consuming job. Many people hire professionals for removing ceramic tile flooring that costs them thousands of dollars. Though it is a difficult job, one can do it without engaging the services of a professional and save a lot of money. The job needs at least two to three days to complete and one must be healthy and fit, as removing floor tiles is a laborious job. Before we discuss the steps on how to remove the ceramic tiles, let us have a look at the equipment required for the same.

• Roofing Shovel
• Cold Chisel
• Grout Saw
• Putty Knife
• Floor Scrapes
• Safety Goggles
• Rubber Gloves
• Sponge

Preparation
Before starting the removal of ceramic tiles, some safety measures must be taken. Protect your eyes by wearing goggles, as there are chances that the tile chips may go into your eyes during the removal process. Wear a mask to prevent dust from entering into your nose and mouth. Also, wear gloves to protect your hands. Arrange for a broom and dustpan to remove the dust that will accumulate after removing the ceramic tiles. You will require a sponge to clean the dust particles on the walls and the floor.

Removal of Grout
Removing the grout is one of the important steps when removing ceramic tiles. With the help of a utility knife, scratch along the grout lines. Sometimes the grout can be removed just by using the utility knife. Use a chisel and hammer if you cannot remove the grout only using the utility knife. Removal of grout makes it easy to remove the ceramic tiles. Ensure that you take safety precautions mentioned in the previous step.

Removing the Ceramic Tiles
Once you have removed the grout, removing the ceramic tile becomes easy as all the four sides of tiles are free. Locate the loose tiles, if any, by tapping on each tile. Loose tiles make the removal of all the ceramic tiles easy. Tap the free pieces with the help of a cold chisel and hammer. If the tiles do not get removed by just tapping use a drilling machine and make holes in several parts of tile. Making holes will divide the tile into smaller parts. Pry the smaller pieces using a hammer. Once you have removed the ceramic floor tiles, use a floor scraper to remove any remains of tile or adhesive residues left on the floor. You need not worry about any minor damage to the sub-floor, as you can easily repair it when you will be installing new ceramic tiles. However, you should be careful that you do not cause any severe damage to the sub-floor. Clean the area and remove all the dust and remains left after the removal of the ceramic floor tiles. Damp the sponge and clean the sub-floor.

Removing ceramic floor tile can be difficult for larger surface areas. It is recommended that you should hire a professional if the area is larger, as there are more chances of causing irreparable damage to the sub-floor. You can remove the ceramic tiles by yourself if you want to remove the tiles from a small area.