How to Remove Thinset Floor Tile
- 1). Move any objects, such as furniture or appliances, that may be placed on top of the floor tile.
- 2). Place drop sheets or plastic coverings over anything that you want to protect. Removing thinset floor tile can be quite messy and dusty.
- 3). Remove any molding along the walls around the floor tile, using a pry bar and hammer.
- 4). Insert a new blade into the grout saw. Use this to saw away at the grout between one of the tiles and the wall. A rotary cutting tool with a masonry blade, if available, can make short work of grout and should be used, if possible.
- 5). Continue sawing or cutting at the ground around all four sides of the floor tile. Clean up the debris with a shop vacuum.
- 6). Insert the edge of a pry bar underneath one side of the tile. Pry upward until the floor tile begins to separate from the thinset below. If needed, continue prying along the edges of all four sides of the tile until it pops out of the floor.
- 7). Rip out the surrounding tiles with a pry bar, once the first tile has been removed. Depending on the strength of the thin set, this can go fast or slow. If needed, saw away the grout between the tiles before trying to pry up. Use a chisel to help remove any stubborn tiles.
