DIY question - removing old tiles

Stolly · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:12

So i've got some dozens of tiles to take off a wall around a bathroom. I'm knocking the grout out with a chisel and then trying to get behind them with the chisel and taking them off the wall. Problem is that they are on pretty good and a lot of the plaster is coming off too. Also its taking blooming ages.

Is there a more efficient way to do this ?

a1ex2001 · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:16

Not really, personally I wouldn't bother chipping out the grout just get a big chisel and a heavy hammer and bash them off, damaiging the plaster work is unavoidable.

jp_bl_68 · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:18

Lose the chisel. All DIY can be done with a big hammer.

Columbo · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:27

We did exactly this last year and we were not prepared for the amount of damage removing tiles actually does.

Ours was tiled half up the wall all the way round and nearly every one took a chunk of plaster.

We ended up going back to the brick and getting Mr Plasterer in to come and sort it out, none of which we had planned for.

It was also at that point that although looking nice when on, we decided tiles=FAIL and we only put them where they had go ie splashbacks etc and just used Bathroom paint for the rest..

xxalxx · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:33

Just get my missus round ....

"ooo look some of the grout has came out from the tiles " (on the kistchen wall)

by the time I got home from work SIX tiles had somehow "fell off" the wall all by themselves.

burtie · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:35

Tile over them.

Wicksta · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:38

I removed the tiles from our kitchen with minimal plaster damage but obviously it depends on the adhesive used. I found the best way to remove them was to lever them off with the claw end of a hammer. I didn't remove any grout and a bit of polyfiller later mean I have a good paint finish now.

Stolly · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:45

Wicksta said:
I removed the tiles from our kitchen with minimal plaster damage but obviously it depends on the adhesive used. I found the best way to remove them was to lever them off with the claw end of a hammer. I didn't remove any grout and a bit of polyfiller later mean I have a good paint finish now.

Yeah i'm doing that now, but even if i get the tips of the claw behind the tile often only a tiny bit comes off. I have to break the tile up in situ and take it off a bit at a time. Must be stronger adhesive.

Stolly · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:45

ManCuBuS said:
We did exactly this last year and we were not prepared for the amount of damage removing tiles actually does.

Ours was tiled half up the wall all the way round and nearly every one took a chunk of plaster.

We ended up going back to the brick and getting Mr Plasterer in to come and sort it out, none of which we had planned for.

It was also at that point that although looking nice when on, we decided tiles=FAIL and we only put them where they had go ie splashbacks etc and just used Bathroom paint for the rest..

This makes me feel better, at least i'm not doing it wrong as such.

Participant · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:49

Hire a tile remover power tool. You'll be glad you did, quite fun and saves hours!!

Wicksta · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:50

Stolly said:
Yeah i'm doing that now, but even if i get the tips of the claw behind the tile often only a tiny bit comes off. I have to break the tile up in situ and take it off a bit at a time. Must be stronger adhesive.

Yeah I had a different experience where levering them off would sometimes even take 4 tiles with a bit of grunt! My floor tiles were like your wall tiles, a complete nightmare to get up and in the end I got my compressor and an air chisel out. I then had to use that self levelling latex stuff before tiling again so I reckon you might need to go mad and then get the wall replastered.

al123 · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:52

The bloke that fitted my bathroom used a power tool with a chisel on the end. The plaster under the tiles got ruined though.

I get around · 25 Sep 2009 at 15:06

Nope, you'll always **** the plaster a bit.
It won't be to hard to rectify, bag of skim, just whack it over the top and paint, should be fine.

darreny · 25 Sep 2009 at 15:47

sds hammer drill with a chisel fitted

bitslice · 25 Sep 2009 at 17:09

I've got a special tile removal tool :cool:

AFAIK you can't buy them, I just acquired one from the guy who invented them. Basically it's a flat metal plate that lies flush with the wall, with a striking plate at the top and a handle - works really well

If Black & Decker and the rest of them didn't keep ripping inventors off all the time then you'd see a lot more stuff like this in the shops :rolleyes:

mightynimrod · 25 Sep 2009 at 17:12

bitslice said:
I've got a special tile removal tool
AFAIK you can't buy them, I just acquired one from the guy who invented them. Basically it's a flat metal plate that lies flush with the wall, with a striking plate at the top and a handle - works really well

If Black & Decker and the rest of them didn't keep ripping inventors off all the time then you'd see a lot more stuff like this in the shops

Yes you can buy them

mightynimrod · 25 Sep 2009 at 17:15

bitslice · 25 Sep 2009 at 17:18

mightynimrod said:
Yes you can buy them

mine's a bit like this but as wide as a tile, I find the drill bit too aggressive

"andy" · 25 Sep 2009 at 17:20

jp_bl_68 said:
Lose the chisel. All DIY can be done with a big hammer.

hammer , adjustable spanner , old rusty knife (to use as screwdriver)

you can achieve anything with those

Django x2 · 25 Sep 2009 at 17:48

Air chisel = WIN