How to Remove Shower Tile Correctly

If you’re going to handle your own bathroom renovation, you’re probably side-eyeing your old shower and thinking of what you’ll do to switch it up. If you’re thinking of retiling it, you could use these helpful tips to remove shower tile correctly. If this is your first time taking on a project like this, it’s just as important to prep for the tile removal as it is to do the job. Take it from Junk Doctors, the junk removal professionals in Raleigh, breaking apart tile is a messy task, so expect shards of tile splattering about, dust in the air, and other hazardous circumstances, especially if you’re dealing with mold in the process. Safety is the most important thing to ensure when doing your own remodeling, so take a second to weigh out all of your options before you begin!

Tools and Gear You’ll Need to Get Started

As we mentioned above, you can expect dust, dirt, grime, and sometimes even mold to become a problem when you’re trying to remove shower tile. For this reason, you should wear personal protective equipment (PPE) before you get your hands dirty. Here’s some safety gear you’ll want to have:

  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Mask
  • Coveralls (or long jeans and long sleeves)
  • Work Boots
  • An old sheet or something to cover your floors and tub

It’s also a good idea to have good ventilation in the area you’ll be working in. A fan blowing out of a window is helpful, but if you have a ventilation system in your home, you’ll want to shut the vents in the bathroom, or you can simply cover them with plastic and tape. This will keep dust from traveling to the rest of your home while you’re working. Once you’re set on your safety gear, cover up your tub or shower floor and maybe even the bath floors with some old sheets. This is to keep them from being punctured or damaged by falling or shooting tile parts. You’ll need tools for the job, too, and those depend on either your comfort with using them, or just the way you plan to remove the tile.

  • Hammer
  • Utility Knife or Putty Knife
  • Drill
  • Sledgehammer

So, How Do You Remove Your Old Shower Tile?

There are some common mistakes people can make when trying to remove shower tile from the walls. Jumping right in with a sledgehammer can land you in some plumbing and electrical problems if not done correctly. If you’re not planning on removing the backing, you don’t want to use the sledgehammer or tile cutter method.

Instead, you’ll want to hammer and chisel the tile to remove it. Tedious indeed, but it will get the job done safely and smoothly. You can also use a drill to poke holes in the grout, being careful not to puncture through to the backing. This shouldn’t be a problem because if you’re removing the tiles you’ll be replacing the grout in the shower when you’re putting them back up. So, if you’re a beginner DIYer you may want to play it safe, by using the hammer and chisel. You’ll chisel away at each tile carefully knocking them loose and off the walls. They’ll likely crack so you’ll be chiseling at parts too. You can scrape away any remains as you go to save you from having to this afterward. If you are going to DIY with a sledgehammer, you have to be careful still. You’ll want to gently hit between studs taking out sections at a time.

So, How Do You Remove Your Old Shower Tile?

There are some common mistakes people can make when trying to remove shower tile from the walls. Jumping right in with a sledgehammer can land you in some plumbing and electrical problems if not done correctly. If you’re not planning on removing the backing, you don’t want to use the sledgehammer or tile cutter method.

Instead, you’ll want to hammer and chisel the tile to remove it. Tedious indeed, but it will get the job done safely and smoothly. You can also use a drill to poke holes in the grout, being careful not to puncture through to the backing. This shouldn’t be a problem because if you’re removing the tiles you’ll be replacing the grout in the shower when you’re putting them back up. So, if you’re a beginner DIYer you may want to play it safe, by using the hammer and chisel. You’ll chisel away at each tile carefully knocking them loose and off the walls. They’ll likely crack so you’ll be chiseling at parts too. You can scrape away any remains as you go to save you from having to this afterward. If you are going to DIY with a sledgehammer, you have to be careful still. You’ll want to gently hit between studs taking out sections at a time.

Have You Changed Your Mind? Let the Professionals Handle It!

If you’re feeling a little discouraged or reconsidering handling this on your own, a professional team like Junk Doctors will go in with tile cutters or other equipment and remove the tile for you. This is also just a faster and less time-consuming method given that you won’t have to lift a finger! We’re accustomed to the dust and debris that comes along with demolition jobs, so we’ll have our PPE and tools ready, so you won’t have to worry about trying to buy that for yourself.

If you’re already looking into a dumpster service or cleanup after your demo, you may want to reach out and find out about our full-service junk removal services. When we do jobs we take on all aspects of the job, from demo, to cleanup, to disposal, and the prices are affordable for the services you get. Junk Doctors offers same-day or next-day services, so you can have your bathroom renovated and the debris removed in one shot! Give us a call today to get started!

Call 919-626-9209