Remove Tile From Concrete Wall

In some cases the only way to tear out the ceramic tile is with heavy equipment such as a jackhammer or air chisel.

Remove tile from concrete wall.

Wipe the tiles dry with a rag then scrub them again with the textured side of a kitchen sponge. Tiles installed with thinset or another tile adhesive often require more work to remove them. Put the chisel along the top edge of the tile trim and hammer down. Chisel tiles away from the wall.

Work the chisel between the tiles and the concrete hammering them up with a 2 lb. Continue chipping until you have removed the trim pieces and have exposed the top edge of the flat tile. Start at a broken tile or between tiles where the grout has loosened. Always wear safety glasses when removing ceramic tile.

Masonry chisel and a 2 lb. Give it a try by inserting a chisel putty knife or other flat tool in between the tile and the wall almost parallel to the wall. Use a 3 4 or 1 in. These pieces should break off fairly easy.

This approach should let you save more of your tiles for reuse unless the tiles are unusually well adhered or a relatively recent installation. To get dried thinset off the top of your tiles scrub away as much of it as you can with warm soapy water and a sponge. Strike the face of stubborn tiles to break them up for easier removal. Before you remove the mesh and mortar of a mud wall you must first deal with the tile.

If the walls were covered with a latex waterproofing the tile will be much easier to remove and should pop.