How to Remove Tile Floor: A DIY Guide
The average cost to remove tile flooring is $3.50 per square foot
- Construction-grade plastic sheeting
- Metal trash can
- Eye shield
- Construction mask
- Hammer
- Painter’s tape
- Contractor-grade heavy duty trash bags
- Masking tape (optional)
It’s finally time to remove that tile flooring. Though it’s tempting to install new flooring over existing tile, you may not be able to depending on the type of flooring you’re looking to install. Often, your only choice is to remove the tile floor completely.
This is a labor-intensive job, so doing it yourself can save you big bucks. Just be prepared for some grueling physical labor. The more hands are available to help with this one, the better.
Since it’s such a large undertaking, before you begin, ask yourself if you really need to remove your tile and your motivations for removing it. If your grout is ugly or cracked, you may instead want to research how to clean floor tile grout or how to regrout floor tile and see if new grout addresses your complaints.
If a few tiles are cracked or chipped, consider simply replacing those few instead of redoing the whole floor. In the end, only you can decide if your motivations for the project are worth the time and effort it will take.
Follow these seven steps to learn how to remove ceramic tile floors.
Safety Check
Photo: Alexander Borisenko / Adobe StockBefore you get started, make sure you’re wearing a dust mask or respirator, as tile demo will create a lot of airborne dust and debris. If you’re working with an older home (built between 1920-1980), be aware that the tile in your home may have asbestos. During that time frame, many tiles and tile adhesives contained the carcinogen. The only way to know for sure is to have your home tested by an asbestos testing professional.
Remove Fixtures and Prep the Area
Photo: Pixel-Shot / Adobe StockStart by removing any fixtures that may be in your way, especially if you plan on saving them. This includes items such as toilets, stand-alone porcelain sinks, bathtubs, and mirrors, as they are all susceptible to damage during this process. Even molding, doors, and trim should be removed or covered. If you have tile under cabinets, consider removing the cabinets so that you can remove the tile underneath and install your new flooring across the entire surface of the subfloor.
For the fixtures that can’t be removed, protect them from swinging hammers and sharp tile shards by covering them with heavy-duty plastic construction sheeting secured by masking tape. This will also keep them from collecting dust.
To prevent the circulation of dust throughout the home, turn off your HVAC system, close all vents, and cover them with plastic to prevent dust and debris from falling into them. Consider hanging plastic sheeting over open doorways to control airflow and prevent construction dust from leaving the room where you’re working. To limit the dust, you may choose to dampen the surfaces you’re working on, open windows in the room, place an outward-facing fan in the window, and use HEPA air filter to prevent, remove, or capture dust.
Remove or Loosen Grout
Grout is what holds tiles together and strengthens tile installations, so it makes sense that loosening or removing grout is the first step in demolition.
Wearing safety goggles and a mask for protection, use a masonry or ball-peen hammer and a chisel to tap grout until it cracks or comes loose. If the grout is very hard or you’re having trouble getting it to crack or pry loose, consider softening the grout, using a grout saw or rotary tool along the edges, or renting heavier equipment such as an air chisel or jackhammer.
You may also find it handy to use a shop vacuum to remove loosened grout and chipped pieces of tile. Regularly removing debris as you work can keep your work area cleaner, give you better access to the grout you’re removing, and show you areas you may have missed.
Select a Starting Point
Photo: Gina Sanders / Adobe StockGet started by choosing a spot to start lifting or breaking tiles. Sometimes, it’s easiest to start by using a flat pry bar and sledgehammer on a bare edge left behind by a removed fixture or in the doorway.
If that method doesn’t work, use a hammer and chisel on the grout to remove a tile and create a bare edge that way.
Once you have a bare edge, use a pry bar and hammer or floor scraper to begin removing tiles.
Remove Tile
Photo: Pornsawan / Adobe StockDepending on the type of underlayment, you may find that the tiles remove relatively easily with a floor scraper or flat shovel.
More effort will be needed if the tiles were set in place with strong adhesives or solid mortar. If this is the case, you may need to use a hammer and a chisel or pry bar to break up the tiles.
Just be mindful of the force being used with a hammer and other tools to prevent damage to the underlayment and subfloor.
As you remove them, place the pieces into a construction-grade trash bag, wheelbarrow, or metal trash can to be disposed of after the project.
Remove the Mortar
Once you’ve lifted and removed all of the tiles, use a wet/dry vacuum or a broom to clear leftover debris. That will give you a better look at the mortar that’s left—removing it is your next step. Removing mortar is important because you need a smooth surface to install your new flooring, so don’t try to take shortcuts on this part of the job. Aim to remove all sections of mortar that are raised or can’t easily be covered by a thin layer of new mortar or thin-set.
Start by using a hammer to tap a chisel (preferably a wider, flat-ended chisel such as a bricklayer chisel) at an angle against the remaining mortar. Always wear eye protection when chipping at mortar to prevent flying pieces from injuring your eyes. Work in small sections, tapping and removing mortar, vacuuming or sweeping the area to clear debris, and returning to areas that still have mortar present.
Clean and Inspect the Subfloor
Photo: BanksPhotos / E+ / Getty ImagesYour subfloor is the base of your project and gives you a sturdy, flat surface for new flooring. For these reasons, you want to look over your subfloor once it’s clean to make sure there are no damaged areas, uneven spots, sunken areas, squeaky places, or soft spots. Having a clean surface will also help lower the cost to install a tile floor or whatever new flooring you’ve chosen.
Vacuum and sweep away all debris to give you a clear view. Then, visually inspect the floor and walk across it, intentionally stepping on every square foot to test it. If you see or feel any damaged areas, you should make plans to cut out that area of the subfloor and replace it with a new section of subfloor. This requires using a circular saw, prying out the old flooring, and installing new areas of flooring that are cut to fit exactly. If this is beyond your skill set, call a flooring contractor.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro to Remove Tile Flooring
For removing tile flooring, some experts recommend taking the fastest and easiest route—hiring a professional. Tile removal is dirty and dusty, takes time, and can be frustrating for DIYers. As with any demolition, the real problems often start when you reveal hidden problems you didn’t know about until you started digging or tearing out.
That’s true for tile, too. Until you begin to remove old tile flooring, you don’t know exactly what lies underneath—cement, underlayment, more tile, asbestos-containing mastic, or just very hardened mortar all have their own challenges and can create major headaches for homeowners. And, after all of the chiseling and chipping are done, disposing of the waste and preparing the subfloor for new flooring can be an even longer process.
That said, if you’re not afraid of a little dust and are willing to put in the hard work, it can be worth your time. The cost savings and reward of knowing you did it yourself can be enough for some people to be glad they took on the job.
If you are ready to remove the tile yourself, research the cost of tools and materials you don’t have, pry up a tile or two to get an idea of what’s underneath, and factor in how much time you think it will take you. If you want to skip the work yourself and hire a local tile contractor, there’s no shame in that. Just be prepared to pay an average of $3.50 per square foot for removal costs, plus materials and disposal fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can technically install tile over tile, but we don’t suggest it. Installing tile over any surface that isn’t a completely flat and prepared subfloor will result in a shoddy overall job, uneven flooring, tiles that don’t adhere, extra weight, gaps, cracks, and room for moisture and dirt to enter. For the best results, only install new tile on a flat, sanded surface like subflooring or concrete that is prepared for tile.
If you have asbestos tile and would rather tile over it than remove it, or if your existing tile is completely flat and bonded tightly to the floor, you may be able to tile over existing tile. But experts recommend thinking twice before you do.
How long it takes to remove tile depends on the size of the tiles, type of tile, type of adhesive, how well the tiles are affixed, the size of the tiled area, and the removal method you choose. Your skill and pace of working also factor in. The average time to remove tile is between eight to 12 hours per 100 square feet of tile. Professional tile contractors will likely work significantly faster than DIYers.
As with timing, the cost to remove tile flooring varies depending on a number of factors, including size and type, adhesive type, condition of the tile and adhesive, and the method used to remove it. If you’re doing it yourself, you can expect the job to cost only the price of any tools, materials, or equipment that you don’t already have. If you’re hiring a professional, expect to pay between $2 and $7 per square foot for labor costs, along with added fees for materials.
