How to Remove a Tile Floor: A Step-By-Step Guide

There are plenty out there that you can use, whether they are power or hand tools, and each job will require a different assortment. Here’s a quick list of tools that are almost always needed for tile removal:

Just as important as having the proper tools for the job is having the proper gear to keep yourself safe. Tile can be extremely sharp when broken, so long-sleeved shirts and pants are suggested. Gloves and safety goggles should be worn at all times, even through the cleanup phase. Finally, a safety mask is also a must. The tiles will create a lot of dust that you don’t want to be breathing in.

An underlayment is the material used under the tile and tile adhesive to stabilize and level out your installation. Plywood or cement board are most commonly used. With an underlayment, there is a thinner adhesive, making your job easier. If your tile is attached to an underlayment, you can follow our steps below for DIY tile removal.

If your tile is set in a mortar bed, or thick-set installation, removal will be more difficult. Mortar bed is made of sand, cement and water to create a thick, spreadable adhesive. Usually, the mortar bed is reinforced with wire for added strength and to prevent cracking. We recommend using machinery rather than a chisel and hammer to remove the mortar.

No, you should leave asbestos tile removal to the professionals. Removing tile flooring is a relatively safe project, unless you’re dealing with asbestos floor tiles or adhesives.

Daniel King, from The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com, says that while these types of tiles are not dangerous while intact, the danger lies when they are removed.

“Asbestos is dangerous when it gets into the air as dust,” King says. “In many cases, the best thing to do it put a new layer of flooring on top of it or seal it with a coat of epoxy floor paint. Both these options will keep asbestos fibers trapped.”

King also notes that while vinyl flooring tends to be the most at-risk of containing asbestos, it is possible that the glue holding the tiles in place may contain asbestos.

Before you dive right in and start pulling up tiles, you need to get your rooms ready for work. This is a fairly quick process that will help set you up for success while ensuring you don’t ruin your possessions.

• Remove free-standing items: Whether it’s an umbrella holder or a coffee table, it needs to get out of the room. After all, you’ll be removing the old tile that it’s sitting on. And, while you’re clearing the room, it might not be a bad time to consider throwing some stuff out to declutter your home.
• Take off any baseboard trim: Using a screwdriver or hammer/pry bar combo, remove any baseboards that might be on your walls. Be sure to do this carefully, as you’ll probably want to reinstall them once your tile removal job is done.
• Seal the vents: As noted before, removing tile floors is a dusty job. You don’t want to clog your air system with pieces of tile and debris. Use plastic wrap and painters’ tape to seal off your vents.
• Cover what you can’t move: If there are items you can’t move, but don’t want to get covered in debris — such as a kitchen island or built-in shelving — use a tarp to cover those items.

Additionally, Robert Robillard of A Concord Carpenter, LLC, says that having space is key when it comes to removing old tiles. In other words, anything that can be removed should be, even if it requires a bit more effort because it will save you time in the long run.

“Trying to work in a bathroom without removing the vanity or something like that is always difficult,” Robillard says. “It’s easiest when the entire room can be cleaned out and give you more room.”

The best places to start your tile removal are:

• An area where there isn’t tile, like where your toilet usually is
• A spot with already loose or cracked tile
• The doorway, where the tile floor meets the next room

Once you’ve found your starting place, follow these steps to start removing your tile floor:

1. Break apart the first few tiles using your chisel and hammer.
2. Remove the broken pieces and place them in a bucket. You don’t need to worry about getting every piece, but getting the bigger chunks out of the way will help in the long run.
3. Inspect the underlayment of the floor to make sure there is no damage.
4. Use a pry bar to pull up tile that isn’t easily removed.

This is where the real work begins. When to start it, though, will vary from person to person. Once you have removed enough tile to comfortably use either your long-handled floor scraper or air hammer with a chisel set, it’s time to get the bulk of the work done.

Use your tools to get underneath a tile and pry it away from the underlayment. Don’t worry if the old tiles break — some will come up easier than others, but all of it will be getting tossed.

As you’re working remember:

• Don’t use too much force, as it could result in damage to the floor or even personal injury.
• Use a shovel to scoop up bigger chunks of tile and dump them in a bucket.
• As you get closer to removing tiles that are near a wall or cabinets, consider switching back to a chisel and hammer to avoid damage to those surfaces.
• Remember, this part of the process will take a decent amount of time. Don’t be discouraged if it’s taking longer than you would like.

Follow our instructions for removing the tile and adhesive. After you finish removing the tile and adhesive as much as you can, be sure to level out the subfloor. Grind down any high spots and use a leveling compound to fill in low spots. If you don’t level out your subfloor, any flooring you put on top of it will be uneven.