How to Take Down Bathroom Tile Quickly

Make no mistake about it, this is a big job that will require a lot of time, elbow grease, and determination, no matter how small the area. Even if you're just tackling the backsplash or are changing the tiles in your bathroom shower, you'll find that it's not an easy or fast project to tackle. Aside from this is the fact that you must be well-equipped with safety gear as shards of ceramic tile can cut as easily as a knife.



When you start, be sure to wear eye protection and a dust mask. It's also highly advisable that you wear long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, and leather gloves. Removing bathroom tile is a demolition job, and one where sharp objects fly in every direction. You ought work with plenty of light and in a well ventilated space for your own comfort.

How to Take Down Bathroom Tile Quickly

If you plan to remove the flooring, you first must shut off the water supply and then, uninstall the toilet, as well as the sink, vanity, and mirror. If you're going all-out, you'll also have to take out any hanging cabinets and towel hangers. Since the job space will be quite messy, you should place a drop cloth at the entryway to cut down on dust and debris tracked into the rest of house.

Ceramic tiles are used for bathroom showers and floors because they prevent water damage to floor and wall underlayment. Ceramic tiles are hard and durable, lasting for years. Many homeowners or home buyers decide to remove existing tiles and redecorate with new tile styles, sizes or patterns. Removing ceramic tiles from the shower walls can be difficult without damaging the surface of the wall because of the strong adhesive used with the original tile installation. -- San Francisco Chronicle

Next, you'll have to what the tile is installed onto, which can be plywood, mortar bed over tar paper, or cement backer-board. Depending on which was used for the installation, it will dictate how to proceed. The good news is that no matter what's under it, this is a demolition job, which means you don't have to necessarily start in a particular place:

• Use a chisel and three-pound sledge to hammer through the tile. You don't have to be subtle about it, just pick a spot and chisel through the tile to get to the underside.
• Pry up the tile. If the tile is installed over mortar, chisel through it until you see the tar paper underneath. You can then use a pry bar or flatbar to pry up large chunks of tile.
• Use a reciprocating saw to cut through plywood. Should the tile be installed over plywood, you'll have to cut it up in sections and then pry up each section. Chisel through the tile along a grout line, forming a large square. Then, use a reciprocating saw to make a shallow, low angle cut (this will be more manageable than a circular saw).

As with tile installed over mortar, you can pry up the sections with a flatbar or pry bar to remove the tile from the bathroom. If the job is too laborious or too time consuming, simply call a junk hauling and removal service to get it done right and in a fast way.