How to remove wall tiles

Removing tiles, grout and tile adhesive can be challenging, but it’s certainly achievable for someone with above-average DIY skills. In this article, we outline how to remove wall tiles, as well as how to remove the adhesive that gets left behind.

Remember, it’s always best to leave jobs like this to the professionals if you want the best results, so enter your postcode into the search box below to find the best local tiling expert.

How to remove tiles from wall

Here’s how to remove tiles from a wall.

What you’ll need:

• Safety goggles
• Gloves
• Dust mask
• Drop cloth or plastic sheeting
• Chisel or small cold chisel
• Hammer
• Putty knife or scraper
• Bucket

Step one: safety first

Removing tiles from walls is actually more dangerous than you might imagine, as sharp fragments can cut you and the dust produced can get in your lungs.

As such, take appropriate safety precautions, such as by wearing goggles, a dust mask and gloves, before you start working.

Also, lay down your drop cloth or plastic sheet to protect the floor and catch any falling debris.

Step two: begin removing a tile from the wall

If any tiles are loose or significantly broken, this can be a good place to start. Gently pry away the loose or damaged tile using a putty knife or scraper.

If there aren’t any loose tiles, start at the edge of the wall and place your chisel against the edge of the tile, angling the chisel towards the wall slightly.

Gently tap the end of the chisel with your hammer.

The goal is to get the chisel behind the tile so you can begin carefully prying it away from the wall. Carry on gently tapping and pushing until you can get the chisel behind the tile fully and remove it.

The tiles are likely to break during this process, so if you don’t want that to happen, you’ll need help from an expert tiler.

Step three: continue along the wall

Once you’ve removed the first tile, it becomes much easier to remove the rest, as you can get your chisel into the gap left behind.

Continue the process until you’ve removed all the tiles, or as many as you want to remove.

Step four: clean the wall

After removing the tiles, the wall will likely be covered in adhesive, which you’ll need to clean off to make the wall presentable again.

Check out the guide below for more information on how to remove it.

Step five: dispose of debris

Collect all the broken tile pieces and dispose of them safely. They aren’t typically suitable for the household recycling bin, so you might need to take them to your local recycling centre.

How to remove tiles from plasterboard

Removing tiles from plasterboard is an even more delicate task because of how soft the surface is compared to other substrates. Here’s how to do it.

What you’ll need:

• Safety goggles
• Gloves
• Dust mask
• Drop cloth or plastic sheeting
• Chisel or small cold chisel
• Hammer
• Putty knife or scraper
• Bucket

Step one: safety first

As usual, take all necessary safety precautions, such as goggles and a dust mask to protect your eyes and lungs, and gloves to protect your hands from sharp bits of tile.

Place a drop cloth beneath the wall you’re working on to catch any falling debris and protect your floor.

Step two: begin removing

Start with a loose tile if there is one, or start at the edge of the wall.

Place your chisel against the edge of the tile, angling it towards the wall slightly. Gently tap the end of the chisel with your hammer, being very careful not to dig into the plasterboard.

Once you’ve created an opening and got your chisel behind the tile, carefully pry it away from the wall, being extremely patient and careful so as not to damage the plasterboard.

Step three: continue removing

Continue this same process until all the tiles are removed. You might want to spread the work over a few days, as you’re likely to damage the plasterboard if you become impatient or lose concentration.

Step four: remove adhesive residue

Removing the adhesive left behind is another challenge. Check out the step-by-step guide below this one to learn how to do it.

Step five: assess the wall

Once you’ve finished removing tiles and the adhesive residue, assess the wall for signs of damage. Small dents and gouges are easily repairable, but if there’s significant damage, you might need to repair sections of the plasterboard.

Step six: clean up

Collect all the broken tile parts and dispose of them safely, which usually means going to the local tip and having them recycled.

How to remove tile adhesive from wall

Removing tile adhesive, also known as mortar, from walls after you’ve removed the tiles is another challenging task, but it’s achievable. Follow these steps to do it right.

What you’ll need:

• Safety goggles
• Gloves
• Dust mask
• Drop cloth or plastic sheeting
• Putty knife or scraper
• Chisel
• Hammer
• Warm water
• Sponge or cloth
• Commercial adhesive remover (optional)
• Sanding block

Step one: safety first

Take the same safety precautions as when removing tiles, such as by wearing a mask, goggles and gloves. Also, lay your drop cloth or plastic sheet to catch any mess or debris.

Step two: try dry scraping

First, try scraping away as much of the adhesive as possible with your putty knife or scraper. Hold it at a 45-degree angle to the wall and push it under the adhesive so you can pry it off.

You can also try using a hammer and chisel for particularly stubborn patches. Tap the chisel very lightly to chip away at the material without damaging the wall.

Step three: dampen and retry

Many types of adhesive become softer when exposed to water, so try dampening the patch with a wet cloth, leave it for a few minutes, and scrape again.

If this works, repeat the process of wetting and scraping the adhesive until it’s fully removed.

Step four: try a commercial adhesive remover

If you don’t have much success with water, you can try softening the mortar with a specialised adhesive remover, such as HG’s Tile Cement Grout and Mortar Remover.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, which usually involve applying the remover, allowing it to sit for a few minutes, and then scraping off the softened adhesive.

Step five: final clean

After you’ve removed all the adhesive, wash the wall with warm soapy water to get rid of any remaining residue.

Step six: sanding (for solid walls)

If you’re working with a solid wall, like brick or plaster, you might want to sand the wall to remove the last remnants of adhesive. This isn’t recommended for plasterboard/drywall, as it can damage the surface.

Step seven: call in a professional

If you’ve made a mistake, want to have your work double-checked, or simply don’t fancy taking on the task yourself, enter your postcode into the search box below and find the most highly-rated local tiler.

If you’re looking to have new tiles installed, find out how much tiling costs here.