How to Remove Old Ceramic From Bathroom Walls

Clear anything off the ceramic tiles in the bathroom, such as stick-on hooks or shelving. Place a piece of plastic sheeting underneath the ceramic you are removing.

Put on gloves, goggles and work clothes to protect yourself from flying debris. If you are sensitive to dust, use a respirator.

Look for any cracks in the grout between the tiles. This gives you an easy starting place to remove the ceramic tile. Insert a new blade into a grout saw and begin sawing at the grout around the first tile. If you have a rotary drilling tool, attach a mortar cutting blade to the end and use that, as it makes the job much quicker. Continue until the grout on every side of the tile is cut away.

Insert the end of a pry bar between the first tile and its neighbor, where the grout has been removed. Press down on the pry bar until the tile starts to come off the wall; do not do this too fast, as you don't want to damage the wall. If the tile doesn't come off, place a plastic or wooden shim underneath the tile surface to keep the tile elevated. Continue working your way around the tile, prying it off on each side and wedging it up when needed.

Insert a putty knife or thin chisel between the wall and the tile, then gently tap the cement backing until the tile comes loose.

Saw the grout away from the next tile and continue working in the same fashion by prying the tile off the wall. On tiles with older grout, you may get lucky and have the tiles come off without first having to remove the grout. The main thing to remember is to try to avoid damaging the wall behind the tile.

If you're not concerned about the wall behind the tile, take a masonry hammer and use it to break up the ceramic tiles. This method is messier, but can be much quicker and is the way to go if you are doing a complete bathroom remodel.

Vacuum up any debris.