Help me remove my ceramic tile - please

unregistered29228 · #1 03/08/10, 09:25 AM

Nickie's thread on floor tiles made me want to ask about my own little remodeling problem. I have an old, cracked, rotten-grouted tile countertop that I'm having replaced with Corian next week. I said I'd remove the old countertop and save the $600 that Lowe's would charge me to do it. Well, it's turned into a huge job and my hands are so sore from hours of it.

I've been able to unscrew the countertop plywood from the cabinets, and carry the wood outside with the tiles attached - heavy but fast. Then I got to the tile backsplash, which is glued/grouted to the sheet-rock walls. I have been using a screwdriver and hammer to dig out the grout between the tiles, then using a putty knife hammered under the tile to get them off the wall. It's making a terrible mess of the sheet rock, and I'm hoping someone here can tell me a better way to get them off!

oz in SC V2.0 · #2 03/08/10, 09:33 AM

That is how I ended up doing it,remember it should be covered up by the backsplash.

You can always cut out the sheetrock and replace it if necessary.

unregistered29228 · #3 03/08/10, 09:47 AM

I think I'll have to replace some of the sheetrock - I pulled some chunks out, adhered to the tile. Too big to just patch with joint compound. I was hoping someone had a magical tip...thanks anyway.

oz in SC V2.0 · #4 03/08/10, 09:51 AM

I was trying to be careful when I first started but then just went to town and ripped it all off...

fellini123 · #5 03/08/10, 10:17 AM

We did it too last year, not only the kitchen backsplash but walls and walls in two bathrooms!!! Yuck!! Anyway we used a scrapper with a wider blade, kept it at a good angle. and wacked away. Sometimes you just couldnt help taking off a chunk of drywall, then we used one of the "drywall patch repair" kits. But most of it came off fine. In fact we were able to reuse much of the tile in the kennel.
Patience and time......wack wack wack wack.......
Alice in Virginia

cfabe · #6 03/08/10, 10:22 AM

I'd just pull the tile and the sheetrock off, forget about trying to remove the tiles. Sheetrock is dirt cheap and easy to patch. You'll want to have that patched, taped, sanded and painted before they put the new counter tops on.