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Bathroom Demo: When the Floor Tile has to Go

JessicaAckerman | May 25, 2010 |

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There is something kind of fun about demolishing a room. It is a great place to vent your frustrations and to burn off extra energy. But before you go wild tearing out your old tile, first make sure that you really need to. Decide first if you really need to replace all the tile, or if you can just remove a few worn or damaged tiles and replace them with tiles that match. Part of your decision will hinge on whether a match is even available. However, if you plan to remove all your floor tile, here's what you need to know.

Take a Peek Underneath

Your first task is to determine what exactly is under that tile. If you were not the one to install the tile in the first place, you will have to take a little peak behind the scenes to see what lies beneath. This under layer is called a bed, and it can be a concrete base or backer board. It is important to know which type of bed you have because demolition is different for each.

Concrete Base Demolition

If your tiles are on a concrete base, get ready to vent away, because you are going to get a chance to be really physical. Grab a hammer and a chisel, and get to work. You can use the hammer and chisel to chip away the grout between tile, and you will use the chisel or perhaps a sturdy paint scraper to pop up the tile from the cement base. If the tile dos not want to release from the base, then you can use the chisel and hammer to break the tile and chip away at it. Make sure that you are wearing safety glasses for the demolition process, because your will very likely have ceramic shards flying everywhere. Once you have completely removed all of the tiles, you can use your hammer to pound away any grout remnants. Then sweep the entire area clean and smooth.

Backer Board Demolition

If your tile is seated on backer board, in many ways your demolition will be much easier. You sill still use a hammer and chisel to remove a few tiles, and then you can use the hammer to smash a hole in the backer board. You should remove at least five or six tiles in a row to create an area of backer board large enough to work with before hammering a hole in the backer board. One you have an access area, slip a crowbar into the hole and pry the entire backboard loose from the floor - tile, grout and all. This is much easier than removing the tiles individually.

Before you add new tile, you will install new backer board first as a base for your tile. Don't attempt to use old backer board because the uneven surface caused by remnants of grout will make the surface uneven and result in broken or cracked tiles.

The Reward for all your Hard Work

The best thing about removing old floor tile is that you get a new pristine floor which makes your whole bathroom look better. Now with a new floor, you can choose to remodel the entire bathroom or just give it a style update with a new shower curtain and towels, metal wall art fish, framed prints, and a stylish unique wall candle holders above the tub to illuminate your luxurious bubble bath.