Removing Ceramic Tile Flooring and Screwed Down Backerboard

Necessary Safety Equipment

When it comes to removing ceramic tiles there is high risk of eye and body injury from flying bits of ceramic tiles. 

Consequently it is critical that you wear wrap-around safety glasses, or preferably goggles, along with work gloves and long sleeve shirts and pants.

Tools Required for Removing Tile without Damaging Backer Board

Before starting a ceramic tile removal process begin by gathering all of the necessary tools. Most importantly you will need a hammer and chisel. In addition, you will need a screw gun, a broom and dustpan, a long handle floor scraper, and a shop-vac.

Removing Ceramic Tile Flooring First, it is critical to put on your eye and body protection before starting. Next, use your chisel to work out the grout around several of the ceramic tiles near the edge of the tile area. Once you have removed the grout around a few ceramic tiles, position your chisel at a low angle underneath the base of a tile (preferably a tile near the edge). Use your hammer to hit the blunt end of the chisel.

Learn how to tile a shower with this eBook, that includes detailed instructions and pictures.

Making repeated blows with the hammer work the chisel underneath the tile. Sometimes the tile will easily pop up, and other times it will fracture and splinter.

In the situation where the ceramic tile fractures and splinters just continue to re-position the chisel underneath the remaining tile piece and continue to work the tile up off of the backerboard.

Continue this process over the entire ceramic floor tile area, occasionally stopping to pick up loose tiles and sweep away some of the debris.

If your goal was to remove tile without damaging backer board material, so that you can re-tile the backer board stop here.

Removing Screwed Down Backerboard

Once you have removed all of the ceramic floor tiles, use a screw gun to remove as many of the screws as you can from the backerboard. It is important to get as many as possible, particularly around the edge of the backerboard.

Some of the screws may not be visible as they are hidden under the remaining mortar/mastic material. By using your hammer and striking it on the backerboard many times, you can loosen up some of the mortar/mastic material to expose additional screws.

Once you have removed as many of the screws as possible, use your long handle floor scraper to pry up the backerboard.

Finally, dispose of the old ceramic floor tile and subfloor, and sweep and vacuum the area.

If the subfloor has significant damage due to the screw holes you can patch them if desired.

Finally repair the subfloor if necessary by patching nail or screw holes, and applying a floor leveling compound if necessary.