Remove Tile Backsplash
Without Damaging Drywall
When removing tile from drywall, you may find that the tile adhesive no longer has a strong bond, and so the tiles fall right off with the slightest pry. On the other hand, tiles are usually bound with a cement-strength adhesive that requires a lot of elbow grease to remove. In this case, pieces of the drywall may come off with the tile, or the entire wall may crumble once its tile support is removed.
If you want to preserve your wall, use these techniques to cause minimal damage, and be prepared to do some drywall patchwork for your nicks and tears.
Instructions
1. Use your grout remover to file away the grout around a single tile. File as deep as you can. You can also use a rotary tool, such as a Dremmel, or a drill with a grout removing bit. Wear safety glasses and a dust mask when removing grout manually or with power tools.
2. Use your ceramic chisel and hammer to chisel a crack into the center of the tile. Then chisel the pieces away so that you can reach the edges of the other tiles.
3. Use your small, flat crowbar or spackling knife to reach between the tile and the drywall. Hammer it into the space behind the tile, creating a gap between it and the drywall. With luck, the tile will come off easily and in one piece.
4. Continue to use the crowbar and hammer until all the desired tiles are removed. If the drywall is still intact, then this is good. If not, the drywall surface must be patched or replaced, especially if there's water damage.
5. Use your spackling knife to scrape away the old adhesive. Use the spackling knife to also mix a little plaster of Paris into the joint compound, and then patch and smooth any minor indentations or holes. Let dry.
6. Sand smooth the scraped, patched and dried wall. You can either paint it or put new tile on the wall.
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