How to remove tiled bathroom walls?

[WSR]

Hi All,

I'm working on removing tiled walls as well as floor tiles, (porcelain), in a 50-year-old bathroom but these tiles are not going down without a fight.

They appear to have been laid on cement sheeting, which was over-enthusiastically nailed to the studs with an absurd number of nails.

I've tried cutting the grout lines using an angle grinder and a hammer drill with a 1-inch blade, but calling this process slow and time-consuming is a gross understatement.

Does anyone have suggestions for a more efficient way to tackle this job? Pics show the progress made after several hours.

Thanks in advance!

[JacobZ]

Hi @WSR,

Thanks for your question.

I'll start by mentioning that you should be confident you are not dealing with asbestos sheeting before you continue.

There's a risk of asbestos exposure from homes built or renovated before 1990. Before starting any work, determine if asbestos is present by having your home assessed and taking necessary precautions to protect yourself and others. Access resources from the Asbestos Safety and Eradication Agency for guidance on safe practices. Prioritise safety by educating yourself and seeking professional assistance when needed.

If you're happy to proceed, demolition is all about leverage and cutting things into manageable sections. I'd suggest running relief cuts through the tile and cement sheet at a manageable size, then using a Craftright 600mm Heavy Duty Wrecking Bar to lever the sheet off the wall with the tiles still attached.

Unfortunately, where cement sheets are used as a substrate for tile, you have to use a lot of fasteners to ensure the weight of the tiles can be supported. As you've already removed some sections of the sheets, you will be able to see the nailing pattern that they've used. You should be able to aim the wrecking bar between these nails to lever the sheets off.

The floor tiles can also be removed using the wrecking bar and a hammer. Once you've exposed an edge, aim the wrecking bar under a corner of the tiles, hit it with a hammer to get it under the tile and then lever it off. 

Another option is to use the hammer drill with a wider chisel bit such as this Craftright 350 x 75mm SDS Max Flat Chisel Bit.

Don't be gentle either, you're planning on fixing things later so there's no harm in damaging a few things here and there, but make sure you avoid water lines and ensure you wear the necessary personal protective equipment including a mask or respirator, gloves, sturdy enclosed shoes, hearing protection, and long work clothes.

Let me know if you require any further assistance.

Jacob

[WSR]

Thanks again, Jacob. I really appreciate your help.

[WSR]

Hi All,

Further to my previous post, I am concerned that removing the tiles and the underlying sheeting around a large part of the sides and base of the window in the attached pic may be problematic. Because of the removal of the existing support structure, will the window need to be supported until new blueboard goes in? If so, please advise how to go about this.

Thanks in advance

[JacobZ]

Hi @WSR,

Thankfully, there's no cause for concern here.

The window will have been installed prior to the fibre cement sheeting so there is no support being given to the window by the sheeting. The supporting structure for the window is the framing timber behind the sheets.  

The only part of the window that may need to come off is the architrave which I have highlighted below.

This is a trim piece that is installed after the window is installed, so there is no cause for concern here either. It will have been installed with brad nails through the fibre cement sheet into the framing behind. You can use the same method of levering it off with a wrecking bar that I described for removing the fibre cement sheets. 

The bottom piece, known as a sill, will also sit in front of the sheets, but you should be able to remove the sheet without removing this piece as it is unlikely it has been nailed in place through the fibre cement sheets.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Jacob

[WSR]

Thanks again, Jacob - that's good news and very much appreciated!