How to remove old tiles: step-by-step DIY guide

Are you going to retile your bathroom, kitchen or toilet? Then the old tiles often have to come off first. Removing tiles is mainly a matter of patience, the right chisel and good protection. It involves dust, sharp shards and noise. With good preparation, you keep the surface underneath as intact as possible, so the new tiles will sit neatly and firmly.

👷 Calling in a professional is never unnecessary. Is your home older, are you unsure what is under or behind the tiles, are there pipes or underfloor heating in the wall or floor, or is it a whole bathroom? Then leave it to a professional. They will strip it quickly, safely and without unnecessary damage to the surface.

What should you check before you start?

• Asbestos: older homes may contain asbestos, for example in old adhesive, floor covering under the tiles, sealant or board material behind the tiles. In doubt? Do not start, have it tested first and leave removal to a certified company. Also read our safety tip on recognising asbestos and stopping in time.
• Pipes and cables: walls and floors may contain water and waste pipes, electrical cables or underfloor heating. Locate them in advance with a multifunction wall detector and mark them. Have a registered installer disconnect sockets, switches and pipes; never work on gas or electrics yourself.
• What remains: if wall tiles come off a plastered wall, the plaster sometimes comes off with them. Expect to repair the wall afterwards, or have it repaired.
• Sanitaryware and accessories: remove mirrors, shelves and loose accessories first. Have sanitaryware and taps removed by a professional if needed.

What do you need?

Tools

• A wide chisel and a flat stone chisel with a club hammer for the manual work.
• For larger areas a rotary hammer with chisel function with a flat SDS-plus chisel. Read our blog on cordless drill, impact drill or rotary hammer first.
• A Raimondi joint scraper to open up the first joints.
• A multifunctional scraper for adhesive residue on the wall and a long-handled floor scraper for adhesive residue on the floor.
• A crowbar for skirting tiles and stubborn edges.
• A multifunction wall detector to locate pipes and cables.
• A rechargeable LED work lamp for a good view of the surface.

Protection and cleaning up

• masking film and blue painter's tape to cover the floor, doors and drains. More tips in our blog on protecting your floor during renovation.
• A construction bucket and rubble bags for the shards.
• A sturdy broom, a metal dustpan and a construction vacuum cleaner for the fine dust.
• If needed, deep-penetrating primer to prepare the surface, if the manufacturer of the new adhesive requires it.

Personal protective equipment

Tile shards are razor-sharp and chiselling creates a lot of dust. So always wear cut-resistant gloves, impact-protection goggles, an FFP3 dust mask (or at least an FFP2 dust mask), earmuffs when using the rotary hammer, high leather S3 safety boot with a steel toe cap and a sole that resists shards, knee pads for floor work and sturdy work trousers with long legs.

Step-by-step guide: how do you remove old tiles?

1. Clear and cover the room. Remove everything that is loose. Cover the floor, bath or shower tray with masking film and tape drains shut with blue painter's tape so no debris gets in. Close the door to the rest of the house and ventilate.
2. Locate pipes and cables. Scan the wall or floor with the multifunction wall detector and clearly mark where something runs. Work carefully by hand in those spots, or leave the job to a professional.
3. Make a start. Choose a broken tile, an edge or a corner. Scrape out the joints around the first tile with the Raimondi joint scraper. Place the flat stone chisel in the joint and tap with the club hammer until the first tile comes loose.
4. Work the tiles loose. Place the wide chisel at a low angle behind the tile, between tile and surface, and tap gently. If you chisel too steeply, you damage the wall or floor. Work row by row and let the shards fall straight into the construction bucket or rubble bags.
5. Use the rotary hammer for large areas. Set the rotary hammer with chisel function to chisel mode (no drilling) with the flat SDS-plus chisel. Keep the chisel flat against the surface and let the machine do the work. Follow the machine's instructions and take regular breaks.
6. Remove the adhesive residue. Chip old adhesive off the wall with the wide chisel or the multifunctional scraper. On the floor it is quicker with the long-handled floor scraper. The flatter the surface, the better the new tiles will lie.
7. Clean up as you go. Do not overfill rubble bags, so you can lift them safely. Sweep up coarse debris with the sturdy broom and metal dustpan and vacuum the fine dust with the construction vacuum cleaner. Ask your municipality how to dispose of construction and demolition waste.
8. Assess and repair the surface. Check that the wall or floor is dry, firm, clean and flat. Repair damaged plaster (see our blog on repairing plaster) and level an uneven floor (see our blog on levelling a floor). Use a deep-penetrating primer if the tile adhesive manufacturer requires it.

Which mistakes are easy to make?

• Starting without knowing what runs through the wall or floor.
• Carrying on while you are in doubt about asbestos.
• Holding the chisel too steeply, which leaves holes in the wall or floor.
• Working without goggles, gloves and a dust mask: shards and dust get everywhere.
• Leaving adhesive residue and tiling straight over it, so the new tiles are not flat.
• Overfilling rubble bags, so they tear or become too heavy.

How do you work safely?

• Dust: chiselling and scraping tiles, adhesive and mortar releases fine dust that can contain quartz. Wear a dust mask, ventilate and vacuum regularly. Read more in our blog on dust and quartz.
• Shards: wear cut-resistant cut-resistant gloves and impact-protection goggles with impact protection. Keep children and pets out of the room.
• Chisels and hammers: check that the chisel head is not mushroomed and that the hammer head is firmly attached. More in our blog on working safely with chisels.
• Noise: a rotary hammer is loud. Wear earmuffs and consider your neighbours.
• Asbestos: if in doubt, stop immediately, do not wet or break anything and call in a certified company.

Read more about working safely in our blog on safe working on the construction site. You will find all protective equipment in our workwear and safety range, see the link at the bottom of this blog.

💡 💡 Keep the chisel as flat as possible against the surface. That way you pop the tile off instead of smashing it, and the wall or floor underneath stays in the best condition.

👷 Is it a whole bathroom, a floor with underfloor heating, tiles on a surface you do not know, or are you in doubt about asbestos? Then leave it to a professional, with the experience and equipment to do it quickly, safely and neatly. Also read our blog on renovating a bathroom: DIY or professional.

Frequently asked questions

Can I lay new tiles over the old ones?

Sometimes, if the old tiles are firmly attached, flat and the build-up height allows it. Always follow the tile adhesive manufacturer's instructions and ask a professional for advice if in doubt.

How do I know whether my tiles or tile adhesive contain asbestos?

You cannot see it with the naked eye. If in doubt, for example in an older home, have it tested by a certified company before you start.

Do I have to remove all adhesive residue?

Yes, remove loose and thick adhesive residue so the surface is flat and firm. Check the instructions of the new adhesive manufacturer for what the surface needs.

Do I need a rotary hammer or can I do it by hand?

A small wall can be done with a chisel and club hammer. For larger areas or floor tiles, a rotary hammer with a chisel function saves a lot of time and effort.

What do I do with the debris?

Collect it in rubble bags and ask your municipality how and where to hand in construction and demolition waste.

Read also: our blog on tiling a wall, our blog on tiling a floor, our blog on tiling a bathroom and our blog on repairing broken tiles.

Read this article in Dutch as well: Hoe verwijder je oude tegels? Stappenplan voor doe-het-zelvers.

Where can you find everything for this job?

At Saniso, the online store for DIYers and professionals, you will find tools, materials and personal protective equipment for your job.

• Browse our construction tools and our workwear and safety.
• Create a customer account and order easily.
• Working on a bigger project or want to hand over the job? Request a project quote.
• Book a showroom visit, at least 24 hours in advance.
• Not sure which material suits your job? Get in touch with us.

In doubt about the approach? Feel free to call in a professional.

Saniso – Build your home with Saniso.