Removing ceramic, porcelain or natural stone tiles from the floor can be noisy, chaotic, and exhausting work. However, it's a job you can do yourself with a little effort and the right tools. You will be lucky if the tiles have been applied to a concrete slab. Directly removing the concrete slab with the tiles mounted on it will be easier and replacing the slab with a new one will not be very expensive.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Remove Tiles from a Concrete Counter
Step 1. Put on sturdy clothing and protective gear before you start removing the tiles
Experts recommend the following:
- Long thick pants, long-sleeved shirts to protect the body from flying debris;
- Leather gloves to protect your hands from sharp edges, especially while removing ceramic tiles;
- Eye protectors to prevent flying splinters from hitting them;
- Ear protectors while using mechanical tools;
- Knee pads for when you are kneeling on the floor.
Step 2. Break the tiles by hand or using power tools
Here are various alternatives:
- Hit the tile with a sledgehammer.
- Rent a motor scraper from a specialty store. This machine will allow you to leverage the tiles easily.
- Rent a manual electric stonecutter, which looks like a drill. Once placed on the edge of a tile, the steel chisel will quickly remove it.
Step 3. Free the semi-detached tiles with a hand chisel mounted on a long stick or with a 5 cm trowel and hammer
Step 4. Collect the small fragments of tiles with a broom and dustpan or vacuum them with a vacuum cleaner
Method 2 of 2: Remove the Tiles from a Concrete Slab
Step 1. Select a place to start work, where the flooring joins with another type of flooring, such as carpet for example
Step 2. Remove a 12-inch side tile, or clear an area that is large enough to work with the shovel
- Remove the grout with a trowel and hammer.
- Insert the trowel cut under the edge of the tile with the help of a hammer and try to pry.
Step 3. Hit the concrete slab under the removed tile with a hammer to pulverize it and expose the wood flooring below
Step 4. Pry the concrete slab, leaving the tiles attached, with a crowbar or flat spade
If the concrete slab has been secured with roofing nails, this should be easy enough. If, on the other hand, it was installed with screws, the plate will fall apart and the screws can be removed later.
Advice
Place a tarp or other piece of fabric over the tiles to contain the broken pieces before using a sledgehammer
Warnings
- Make sure the flooring does not contain asbestos before you begin removing the tiles yourself.
- Removing the tiles produces a large amount of dust. Seal the room as much as possible and cover up the carpets, furniture and whatnot before starting the demolition.
