How to Remove Tiles | Removing & Replacing Tiles

While your bathroom and kitchen tiles are designed to be long-lasting and low maintenance, they'll occasionally need replacing. A cracked or damaged tile is no longer waterproof, which risks further damage in the long term, and of course, if you're upgrading an entire room, you'll need to remove all the old tiles first.

Whether you need to replace a tile on floor surfaces, you're wondering how to remove tiles safely, or you're completely replacing kitchen tiles, this guide will walk you through it. We've even got a handy how-to video alongside this article to show you the steps in action.

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SAFETY

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Wear protective gloves, safety goggles, and long sleeves before starting tile removal, as old chips and shards can be very sharp and hazardous.
Drill a small hole in the centre, use a grout removal tool to scrape out the surrounding grout, and carefully chip the old tile away using a hammer and chisel.
Clean off the old adhesive, apply fresh tile adhesive, place your replacement tile using spacers, and finish by working new grout into the joints with a float

Tools and Materials

Step-by-step guide for removing and installing tiles

Before doing a DIY job like this, you’ll want to clean the surface thoroughly with a damp sponge. You’ll also want to lay down dustsheets on your floor to protect it from any sharp, falling shards of broken tile. It’s a good idea to wear gloves, a dust mask, and protective goggles to protect yourself from the same thing.

Start by sticking a piece of masking tape over the centre of the broken tile. This stops your tile drill bit from slipping on the surface.

Drill a small hole into the tile using a ceramic tile drill bit. Take care not to drill right through the tile and into the wall. Then carefully remove the masking tape.

Use a grout removal tool to scrape away the grout from around the tile. The grout around wall tiles is usually thinner than the grout around floor tiles, so apply light pressure when cutting and work carefully. You want to minimise the risk of cutting through to the wall or damaging surrounding tiles.

The best tile removal tool is a combination of a hammer and chisel. Use these to chip away the broken tile gradually.

Start from the hole in the centre and work your way outwards towards the edge. This makes tile removal much safer for the adjacent tiles.

Next, you need to make sure all of the old adhesive is removed. For this, you can use a scraper.

If the adhesive is particularly tough to get off, grab your hammer and chisel or try a specialist glue remover for tiles.

Once you manage to remove adhesive from tile backing areas, brush away any remaining dust. You need a completely clean and dry surface before you apply the replacement tiles.

Apply tile adhesive to the back of the new tile using a notched tile adhesive spreader.

Place your new tile firmly into position. If the tile is not flush with the existing tiles, you may need to add or remove some adhesive as appropriate.

Insert tile spacers to maintain a consistent gap between the new tile and the surrounding tiles. Leave the spacers in place until the adhesive has fully dried. You may need to wipe excess adhesive off the tile with a damp sponge.

Once the adhesive has fully dried, remove the tile spacers. Then use a grout float to work the new grout into the tile joints using smooth diagonal movements. Wipe off any excess grout from the tile surface.

When the grout has started to harden, run a grout finishing tool along the newly grouted tile joints to create a smooth finish that matches the surrounding tiles. Once the grout has dried, remove any residue from the tile with a clean dry cloth.

Is the process the same for floor and wall tiles?

The main difference between replacing a floor tile and a wall tile comes down to the thickness of the grout. The grout around wall tiles is usually thinner than the grout around floor tiles. Because of this difference, when you are replacing a wall tile, you need to apply light pressure and work very carefully with your grout removal tool. This helps to minimise the risk of accidentally cutting right through to the bare wall or damaging the adjacent tiles.

Beyond the grout removal step, the rest of the replacement process is the same for both surfaces. You will still use the same tools to safely chip away the broken piece from the centre outwards, before applying fresh adhesive and new grout to secure your replacement tile. You may just need to use a little more force for floor tiles as they’re usually stronger and designed to withstand more weight.

To sum up, tackling a tile replacement project is completely manageable when you break it down into simple steps. First, ensure you have your safety gear on before using your drill, hammer, and chisel to carefully clear the damaged area. Whether you need to remove floor tiles or fix a cracked wall tile, taking the time to scrape off the old adhesive and remove the old grout will give you a clean, flat surface. Finally, bed your replacement tiles into fresh adhesive, pop in your spacers, and apply new grout for a smooth, watertight finish. With the right tools and this straightforward advice on how to remove tiles, you have everything you need to confidently refresh your room and be proud of your work. If you now fancy having a go at some more tiling, take a look at some bathroom tile trends.

FAQs

Always wear protective gloves and safety goggles. Score or drill the centre of the tile, complete your removing grout from tiles step, and carefully chip outwards with a hammer and chisel to avoid damaging adjacent tiles.

No. If you suspect your old floor tiles contain asbestos, do not attempt to use a floor tile remover yourself. Always contact a licensed professional to handle the remove floor tiles process safely.

Yes, you can replace tile trim. You'll need to carefully remove the grout and adhesive holding the old trim, then slide and secure the new trim into place before re-grouting.

Yes, you can easily replace a single tile. By carefully completing the tile and grout removal around the damaged area, you can swap in a new one without disturbing the rest of the room.