How To Remove Tiles From Floor: Remove Tiles From Floor In 8 Steps

Beautiful tiles perfectly complement the design of any room, but over time, they can wear out or get bored. In this case, you need to remove the old tiles from the floor and prepare the floor for the new ones. But how to remove old tiles from the floor? Everything is effortless!

You can call the master who will do everything for you or try to do everything yourself. With our step-by-step guide, you can carefully prepare for the procedure and remove the tiles from the floor without any problems for your health and the integrity of your home.

Removing tiles on your own is a relatively simple process – for this, you need the right tools and a little skill. We will guide you through the entire procedure, from preparing the room to the final inspection of the room after the process.

Stay with us and read the article until the end to know how to properly remove tiles from the floor and, at the same time, do it with minimal effort.

Tile Floor Removal Procedure

So, before removing your tiles from the floor, you should take care of several points in advance. So, first of all, think about your health and home systems:

1. If you have the option to turn off your HVAC system, you should do so first, as this will protect your home air ducts from excess dust and dirt. Also, cover other ventilation openings in the house.
2. Then it would be best if you opened the windows in the room where you are going to work so that you can breathe normally. If you do not have windows in this room, you should wear a respirator. Also, wear safety glasses, as tiles can break into pieces and get into your eyes.
3. Also, close any gaps through which all debris will pass.

Now it’s time to check all the necessary tools for the job. You’ll need:

• A hammer.
• Сhisel.
• Pry bar.
• Scraper.
• Broom.
• Waste bin.
• Several large packages.
• A vacuum cleaner.
• Gloves.

Once you are convinced that you are completely ready to work, you can proceed to the best way to remove tile from the floor without a specialist.

1. Mastic vs. Mortar

When planning a tiling project, one of the first decisions you need to make is what type of adhesive to use; the two most common options are mastic and mortar:

• Tiles attached to mastic will move away from the floor much better and break into large pieces. In this case, you can remove the tiles from the floor with minimal effort. In addition, the mastic can be dissolved in water to remove traces of glue on the floor completely.
• Whereas tiles attached with mortar will be much less mobile even with heavy impacts and are difficult to remove from the floor. In this case, you will have to put in much more effort to make it crack and disappear from your floor.

2. Remove Everything in the Room

Before tile floor removal, start by removing anything bolted, screwed, or nailed down to the tile floor. This includes toilet bowls, vanities, cabinets, and other pieces of furniture. Once everything is unbolted and removed from the tile floor, you can start working on removing the tile itself.

3. Find the Starting Point

Start at a tile near an edge or corner and work your way out. If you’re planning to reuse the tiles, be extra careful not to damage them. Once you have found your starting point, you can remove the tiles from the floor.

4. Remove Your First Tile

Removing a tile looks something like this:

• Locate the grout line between two tiles.
• Insert the blade of a putty knife or other thin, hard object under the tile at the grout line.
• Apply pressure to the tile with the putty knife to loosen it, then use a pry bar or other tool to remove it completely.
• Repeat the procedure until all tills are removed.

TIP!

If you want to keep your work area as tidy as possible, you should take care in advance where you will throw the garbage. To do this, you took a waste bucket. You can throw tiles into it, but remember that it can become incredibly heavy after half an hour of work.

5. Underlayment

The next step in the best way to remove tile from the floor is cleaning. Once you have removed all the tiles, you will reach a new layer – the tile backing or underlayment. It can be something like a plywood board, mortar, or other material. Remove this layer from the surface of your floor. However, it is not necessary to remove the entire layer. You can leave one that remains intact after the procedure for removing tiles from the floor. An undamaged substrate can be reused.

6. Clean Your Floor

After you finish with the underlayment, you can start cleaning your room. To do this, carefully vacuum the entire surface of the floor. Be sure to work around all corners and hidden places carefully, as a large amount of dust and dirt can build up there. If your floor has many pieces of tile or grout, you first need to sweep up all this debris and only then use a vacuum cleaner.

7. Nails Problem

If you remove the underlayment, there are chances that nails will remain on the floor. Therefore, you need to either remove these nails or drive them deeper so that you don’t stumble or step on them.

8. Final Touches

Once you have completed all the procedures with your floor, all the tiles are in garbage bags or a trash can; you can inspect your floor for visual damage and unevenness and fix them. If there is a rotten floor or a damaged part, you should repair or replace it. If your floor is entirely intact, you can open the vents, take off your work clothes, and take a shower.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, tile floor removal can be a challenging and time-consuming task. However, with the right tools and techniques, it is possible to remove tiles from floors quickly and easily. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that your tile floor removal project is completed successfully.

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