How do I remove ceramic tile from drywall without destroying drywall?

Question

The tile is in the kitchen and will be replaced with new tile. If I damage the drywall too badly, do they make a thin backer board to install over drywall? I'll need a level surface to install new ceramic tile onto.

Answer 1

At the very least you should plan on some damage/patch/prep. The thought to add 1/4 concrete backer board is valid certainly, and will save time overall, plus allow a better substrate for adhesion.

Personally I never install tile over drywall any more, not even over "green board" but that's a personal choice.

Steven Wolf

Answer 2

If the previous installer used mastic it should be easy as sliding a trowel behind it and it should pop off.If they were more experienced and used mortar your going to have some damage.Try to use the widest and flattest chisel or trowel to get behind them and pry gently so that you don't penetrate the drywall.I would just rip it off and replace the drywall then if your walls are crooked or have dips float them for the best job.Backer board on top of the drywall will make for an ugly edge where the tile ends.Unfortunatly products like green board and backerboard are being abused.The best and most proffessional way to install tile on a counter wall or in a shower is over mud. Most people aren't skilled enough to do it so job quality is sinking to a new low and everybody thinks there a tilesetter.If your hell bent on using backerboard over the drywall use half inch then you can use a radiused bullnose to clean up the edges.

Answer 3

Its very difficult to do that. If you get lucky, you may only tear off the paper of the drywall. Sometimes you can go over this with a skim coat of mud.

Since you are doing work in the Kitchen. I would recommend replacing the drywall with something more suitable for that environment. They make water resistant drywall, or better yet, cementitious underlayment.

This will give you a nice, smooth surface to start from when you go to put the new tile in, and should there be a water leak or crack in the grout - the water wont damage what's underneath.

If you want to try to save your drywall, they do make it in 1/4" but this my throw off some of the dimensions for cabinets, etc. Make sure you check first. And use a skim coat of mud underneath first, so the original damaged drywall is nice and smooth.

Good Luck!

Answer 4

How To Remove Wall Tile

Answer 5

if this is a backsplash most of the time the first tile is the worst. Most of the time when a splash is installed the installer does not use to much adhesive. If you take a 4" drywall knife you can usually pry the tiles off one at a time with out much damage to the wall.

Answer 6

Depends on how much tile/drywall is cheap.

Answer 7

The easiest way I have found to do this with minimal damage is to use a 4 inch putty knife but it has to be a very THIN (flexible) knife that allows you to pry off the tile and not dig into the wall. Using a hammer, gently tap the knife behind the tile and pop them off one by one. You should only need minimal spackle to fix the wallboard.

Answer 8

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