How to Break Ceramic from a Fireplace Facade

Protect the area surrounding the fireplace facade by placing a dropcloth over the floor at the fireplace base and then covering adjacent surfaces with masking paper secured at the edges with masking tape to protect from flying ceramic shards. Protect yourself by wearing a pair of safety goggles, work gloves and a face mask.

Remove any grout from between pieces of the ceramic with a rotary tool equipped with a carbide grout blade attachment. Turn on the tool and run the blade down the line of grout in the ceramic joints to cut through the grout to the adhesive layer on top of the fireplace.

Place the point of a small chisel onto the center of the ceramic. Strike the head of the chisel with a hammer to break the ceramic into pieces. Move the chisel point around the ceramic, breaking the ceramic into pieces that average a couple of inches in size.

Place a pry bar into a crack between pieces and slowly wedge the ceramic from the surface of the facade, popping it away from the fireplace entirely. Continue removing the ceramic pieces with the pry bar until you clear the facade of ceramic.

Scrape away the adhesive left on the facade after the ceramic removal using the edge of a putty knife. Brush a chemical adhesive remover onto the facade to strip away any remaining adhesive residue. Wait the manufacturer-suggested amount of time for the remover to work on the adhesive and then strip the remover away with a rubber putty knife.

Wash the surface of the facade with a pH-neutral cleanser and sponge to clear away the last of the chemical adhesive remover. Rinse with clean water and then allow the facade to air dry.