Remove Wall Tile Without Hurting Backboard

A hammer a good chisel with two ends and a scraper.

Remove wall tile without hurting backboard.

Repeat step 6 one more time just to be on the safe side. There are a myriad of tools designed for this job which include grout saws carbide tipped tools and a grout removing bit that works in a dremel tool. Run the gout cutter around the tile edges in the grout area. Then make and x motion within the tile with the tile cutter.

Remove outlet covers and cut the electricity to the area where you will be removing the tiles. Grout comes out quickly just. The tile should pop away from the wall. Tiles installed with thinset or another tile adhesive often require more work to remove them.

Use a grout removing tool to remove the grout around the entire perimeter of the tile. Carefully use the hammer and putty knife to chisel off the tiles without gouging the drywall. Have the correct tools test out a hidden spot work in small batches making sure to keep your chisel parallel to the wall so that you avoid going directly into the drywall. Of course that you can do this operation mechanically by using a drill machine with hammering function but if you want to remove the tiles without breaking them it is better to do it by hand.

Once you have removed the tiles you will see there is an adhesive beneath that is either rock hard or semi soft. Make sure the tip of the chisel rest against the tile and does not point down toward the hardie board. Then use a utility knife or rotary grinder to scrape away the grout until the spacer lugs between the tiles are visible. The method used to attach the tiles to the wall affects the way the tiles come off.

To remove wall tiles start by heating up the grout between the tiles with a blow dryer so it s easier to remove. Step 4 pry the tile away from the wall gently using the putty knife or plaster spatula. Work the putty knife or plaster spatula in and out behind the tile in a cutting like motion around each side of the tile to loosen it from the wall. In order to remove wall tiles one needs several tools.

The trick is to get the old tile out without damaging the surrounding tiles. This will further loosen the tile reducing the chances of you damaging the drywall behind it when you start removing the tile from the wall.