How to Remove Porcelain Tile From Floors
Porcelain tile is a common flooring method, and although durable, can be hard to remove. When porcelain tile is directly attached to the floor, removal should be left to an expert. However, as most tiles are installed with only with an adhesive layer, removing porcelain tile can a relatively simple, albeit time consuming do-it-yourself project.
Things you’ll need
- Work gloves
- Goggles or other eye protection
- Hammer
- Thin chisel
- Heavy duty chisel
- Pry bar
- Scraper
- Put on a pair of work gloves. This can be important to protect your hands from blisters and shards of porcelain. Wear appropriate work clothes and eye protection as well. Goggles or protective glasses are especially important as porcelain can shatter.
- If your porcelain tiles are surrounded by gout, use a thin chisel and hammer to scrape it out.
- Start removing your first few tiles by hammering corners with the heavy-duty chisel, removing pieces as you break them. Chisel the tile until you reach the adhesive layer between the tile and the floor.
- Once you have removed a small area of tile, you should be able to start using the pry bar. Apply leverage by pushing the edge of the bar underneath a tile and pushing downwards to remove it from the floor.
- Continue removing tile one at a time, being careful not to shatter any tile. If you have trouble removing a tile, you can use the hammer and chisel to help loosen it.
- After removing all the tiles, sweep any debris up. Use a floor scraper to remove any pieces of tile or adhesive left on the floor.