Removing ceramic tiles from plywood

Gilly

Gilly

Gilly

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I've started work on the bathroom and on the external walls the tiles have flown off, but the internal walls are plywood and the tiles won't budge. They just chip and leave big chunks behind with the adhesive.

We don't want to re-tile so it needs to be a good finish.

I know what I would like to do but the wife isn't having it. Suggestions?

Been using a little mallet and old chisels so far.
 
Honestly, tell the wife she's wrong. That's the best solution. You'll probably have to replaster to some entent any way.
 
Not sure what you mean. When I said I know what I want to do I meant take the wall down! We just don't know what's beneath the ply.
 
Aye just take the ply off dude :)
Underneath would likely be just studwork and maybe some insulation in the voids.

Your gonna spent hours chipping them all off, then days getting a nice smooth finish.

Or a few hours pulling the walls down completely and then maybe an afternoon slapping up a new panels.

Gonna do exactly the same with my bathroom as the entire room, and part of the bloody ceiling is tiny what must be 5*5 or 6*6 tiles.
 
Doubt there's any stud work. I think it's going to be brick or filthy old slats. House is over a century old and this hasn't been done in a LONG time.
 
There should still be some verticals for the slats to be attached to.
If its just bare brick behind even better :) you can either just remount ply or dot and dab plaster boards up n get it skimmed :)

Go on do it properly... Make a mess :D
 
^ No point skimming if you're going to tile straight over the board.

Hire or buy a drill with roto stop and an SDS chisel bit. I can't see how you'll be able to rip off the plywood walls unless you first take off the tiles anyway, as they'll surely be screwed from behind the tiles.
 
Gilly said:
Not sure what you mean. When I said I know what I want to do I meant take the wall down! We just don't know what's beneath the ply.
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I must admit, I'm stumped. The tiles are on ply. You don't want to retile. So you just want bare ply? Or you want to fix plasterboard to it?
I'd just rip it off as you'll be able to fix the boards to whatever supports the ply
 
Don't re-plaster it'll limit your choice of tiles. Adhesive clinging onto 2mm of plaster is nowhere near as strong as adhesive clinging onto a 12mm board.

Rip it all off and re board. It looks and feels scary but it really isnt. Half a day job max.
 
Sorry Dis yes I want to rip out ply and reboard, maybe do a bit of stud work depending on what I find, then plaster over for a smooth finish as we're not tiling that wall.

She reckons we're best off carrying on chipping at it and skimming on ply.
 
DESTROY!

Go on :p It's gonna be the best and cleanest outcome (after you tidy up :p), once all the tiles are off yer gonna spend ages making sure it's flat and remotely clean. Pull it off as one, save loads of time removing tiles and tidying up a messy board.
 
~Divine~Wind~ said:
DESTROY!

Go on :p It's gonna be the best and cleanest outcome (after you tidy up :p), once all the tiles are off yer gonna spend ages making sure it's flat and remotely clean. Pull it off as one, save loads of time removing tiles and tidying up a messy board.
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agreed. If, when the job is finished, there is the slightest blemish you will notice it and kick yourself for not doing it the way you wanted.
 
I'd really ditch the ply. Even if it's thick the slightest flex and the plaster will crack.
Replacing it with plasterboard will give a better finish, reduce the chances of it cracking and...if you get the smaller boards (not 8X4s) then they're easy to handle.
A lot of people will say go for the green bathroom boards. I've never used them and never had a problem. Recently converted a bathroom and en suite in my house in to a single bathroom albeit a hell of a lot bigger and used standard boards with no problems yet. They're also significantly lighter and cheaper.
 
I'm just amazed your other half cares so much. Mine thankfully stays entirely out of DIY business :p (apart from when she's blowing our budget at Porcelanosa :rolleyes:).
 
Proof that there is absolutely nothing wrong with tiling onto plywood.

She reckons we're best off carrying on chipping at it and skimming on ply.
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Inform her she knows nothing of man tasks and to get back to the kitchen :p.

Fastest way to remove them would probably be to get hold of a powerful magnet to locate the screws behind the tiles, then just chip away the tile in them areas.
 
Just pull it off and board on the existing stud (they still had wood to make internal walls 100 years ago)
 
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