How do I remove specific bathroom tiles?

October 16, 2021 8:22 AM

I have these grody bathroom fixtures (soap holder, towel rack) that I would like to remove and replace with tiles. Is it possible? Pictures inside.

Here is the scenario:

Pictures of the offending tiles.

As you can see, there is a tile infrastructure in place. Is there a way to remove just the surrounding tile sections where the fixtures (or whatever the proper name for them is) are, replace them with new tiles and then paint over them?

I don't really know what tool and process would be involved. I'm assuming a chisel of some sort? As you can see I have very little experience in this sort of thing. Any guidance appreciated!

posted by jeremias to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

For ceramic, the strategy for removing individual tiles is to first use a grout saw to remove the surrounding grout, then break the tile and remove it in pieces. If you don't remove the grout then the shock of impact will damage surrounding tiles too.

With all that paint, are you sure that's actual ceramic, and not the old plastic tiles that are common in houses of a certain age?
posted by jon1270 at 8:30 AM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

Both seem to overlap the tiles surrounding them. You sure they're not just glued on?
posted by Max Power at 9:22 AM on October 16, 2021 [4 favorites]

Yeah, they look glued on. Maybe try the steps recommended by Liquid Nails for separating things bonded with construction adhesive?
posted by holgate at 10:22 AM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster:

With all that paint, are you sure that's actual ceramic, and not the old plastic tiles that are common in houses of a certain age?

I'm fairly sure they are ceramic, a little further down the wall is a piece that has cracked and needs replacing, and you can see the material/thickness. You can also see the original blue unpainted tile that is perpendicular to it.

Photo of said piece here.
posted by jeremias at 10:37 AM on October 16, 2021

Response by poster:

Both seem to overlap the tiles surrounding them. You sure they're not just glued on?

Hmm, good question, you are probably right!

Didn't really think about that and I think I will investigate holgate's lead on how to separate things bonded with adhesive. It appears to be an incredibly strong bond though, will be curious to see if it can be removed without significantly damaging the tiles beneath.
posted by jeremias at 10:42 AM on October 16, 2021

They look ceramic, look attached with mortar, and may be very hard to remove without a fair bit of work and possibly damage. I would test to see if the paint has any lead; don't screw around with lead paint, you can become very ill, a friend still has ill effects from lead. It might be possible to remove the paint from the tile and fixtures; old fixtures in good shape can look pretty good with some vintage charm.

Consider removing all the tile and installing new tile, probably not that much more work. Contractor-standard white tile is not expensive.

If there's lead, talk to the landlord about removing it.
posted by theora55 at 11:29 AM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

Those are glue ons. You can knock them off with a leather mallet. The underlying tiles will probably have stain lines, they can be polished with a rotary tool and rouge. Even if the underlying tiles are cracked in the process, digging out the grout and replacing the tile is pretty straightforward as well.
posted by ptm at 12:40 PM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

Speaking as someone who installs and removes tile as part of my job: there is not a reliable and simple way to remove individual tiles. There are ways but I wouldn’t recommend a homeowner do this themselves, because of lead and likely breakage concerns.

LUCKILY, it looks like those fixtures are glued and not tile themselves. If the building is of a circa that there might be lead, you should research lead PPE and decide if that’s a risk you want to take. If there’s no chance of lead, you could try scraping the base of the fixtures with a razor to see how it’s attached, then using a rubber or leather mallet on them as suggested above, and/or a solvent like acetone to dissolve the adhesive.
posted by Summers at 4:51 PM on October 16, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks all, the tiles were painted by a family member within the last 10 years so there's no lead concerns.

Looks like someone gets to buy that leather mallet he's always wanted.
posted by jeremias at 6:07 PM on October 16, 2021