How to Remove Wall Tiles

Renovating your bathroom? Dreaming of a new kitchen splashback? Good news, you don’t have to be a DIY genius to get involved! If you’re renovating your bathroom and aren’t afraid to get your hands dirty, there are plenty of things you can do to speed the project along. Removing wall tiles yourself is simple, and it can save you the cost of asking a tiler to do it instead. In this article we’re going to go over everything you’ll need and a few simple steps on how to remove wall tiles.

Collect Your Tools

You don’t need any fancy tools to remove wall tiles. The work can be done with hand tools and a bit of patience!

You’ll need:

• Ear and eye protection
• Work gloves
• Dust mask
• Hammer
• Cold chisel or a masonry chisel
• Utility knife or screwdriver
• Heat gun (optional)
• Pliers

Hardened grout is usually pretty easy to scrape out with a utility knife or a screwdriver. You can speed up the work by using a tool like a grinder or dremel with a grinding disc. Be aware that using power tools increases the risk of breaking tiles, so it’s not recommended if you want to reuse your wall tiles.

Protect the Work Area

Removing wall tiles is a messy job! You’re likely to get your bathroom covered in dust and shards of broken tile that may scratch or damage other surfaces. Before you get started, make sure you protect fittings and surfaces with drop cloths. We’d recommend using canvas drop cloths that won’t tear as you walk across them.

Pay special attention to fittings like ceramic sinks and baths. These could all be seriously damaged if you dropped a tile or tool on them. Consider adding a double layer of canvas drop cloth to these delicate spots!

How to Remove Wall Tiles

Once you’ve gathered your tools and PPE, it’s time to get to work! Removing wall tiles is simple, but it will take a bit of practice. Here’s our step-by-step guide:

1. Scrape out the grout. Begin by scraping out the grout between the tiles using a utility knife or an old screw driver. This is easiest to do in multiple passes. Run the tool along the grout line and apply enough pressure to scrape away the grout. Be careful not to scrape the tool across the tile itself! If you’re really struggling then using a heat gun to soften the grout can help.
   If you’re replacing all the tiles on a wall then you don’t need to scrape out all the grout. You only need to remove the grout around the outer edges, although removing more grout will reduce the chance of breaking tiles along the way.
2. Remove the wall tile. Once you have scraped out all the grout surrounding a tile, you can attempt to remove it with a masonry chisel and hammer.
   Before you start hammering away, take the back of your chisel and tap it on each corner of the tile lightly. You’re looking for any signs of movement. If the tile shifts when you tap a corner, that’s where you should start trying to pry it off the wall. Simply angle your chisel so that it will slide between the wall and the tile and then tap it with the hammer. Be aware that tiles tend to fall off as they come loose!
3. Breaking tiles. If you can’t pry a tile away from the wall then you may need to break one to get the process started. Always wear eye protection before attempting to break a tile!
   To break a tile, use your chisel and hammer to make a hole in the middle of the tile. Use your chisel to work outwards from there and chip away the rest of the tile. After that’s done you should be able to remove the surrounding tiles more easily.
4. Clean the wall. Your wall will be covered in hardened tile adhesive. This is usually easy to chip away using your chisel. If you’re retiling the wall then you will need to remove all of the old adhesive to create a perfectly flat surface. If you find plastic tile spacers, you can use a pair of pliers to snip them off.

Plan Your Next Renovation Project with the Experts at Stone3!

Tackling a renovation project yourself is a great way to save money and put a personal touch on your home! If you’re updating your bathroom, planning a big renovation or simply want to replace some old tiles, get in touch with Stone3. Stone3 is a boutique supplier of floor and wall tiles across Australia. The expert teams at our Brisbane and Melbourne showrooms are happy to answer any questions and help plan your next project. With decades of design experience, our tile experts have advice and honest feedback that can take your project to the next level! You can browse our range of wall tiles online, or get in touch with us at any time if you’d like our help.