The best way please to remove one tile

[greatgrey]

Hi. Have just tiled my shower room and drilled one tile for the overflow hole. I now find the cistern has a built in overflow and will have to remove this tile a replace it. What is the best way to do this please without damage to the other tiles?

Thank you for any help you can give me.

Dave.

 

[2scoops0406]

Gently hit said tile with a club hammer , then carefully remove the fragments.

 

[Diyisfun]

Hit it with a hammer in the middle, the problem is that the edge of the tile you want to remove may chip the adjacent tile. If that happens the next tile is easy to remove.
When I moved in to my current house, I remove a few tiles that had holes in where the previous occupier had fitted bits & pieces, I was pleased that I took the trouble to remove them.

 

[Symptoms]

Dave - before you attempt to take the tile out you should (must) scrape it's surrounding grout out; you can get a cheapo grout removal tool from one of the sheds (a bit like a short sawblade with a handle). Remove the grout around the tile with a sawing action, don't be tempted to scrape with a probe 'cos it's possible to damage the glaze of neighbouring tiles. The purpose of doing this is to reduce the chance of cracking 'running' into neighbouring tiles (quite common) when you attempt to remove it.

Next, with a small narrow cold chisel and hammer (if you haven't got a c/chisel an old narrow woodworking chisel, say ¼" to ½" wide, or even an old screwdriver) start by introducing radial cracks from the overflow hole outwards. You then use the hammer & chisel to lift the cracked sections of tile off the wall. Start at your overflow hole and work out-over.

Once the bits are out scrape the tile field clean of any old adhesive to ensure flatness.

 

[jefoss]

if you can get in properly, get an angle grinder cut a cross as far as you can through it and then use a chisel to get out the bits and ****.

failing that a very large lump hammer whack **** out of it all. then replace the ones you need to as necessary.

 

[gcol]

if you can get in properly, get an angle grinder cut a cross as far as you can through it and then use a chisel to get out the bits and s**t.

Why didn't I think of that?

 

[mattylad]

A small amount of C4 explosive would remove the tile too

 

[Symptoms]

Yeh, an angle grinder would work but how good is the person controlling it? An angle grinder, in the hands of the inexperienced, may slip, slide, grab, over-run, gyroscope, causing lots of lovely damage to neighbouring tiles. Then there's the dust!!! Not to mention having the correct disc fitted. So Dave ... take your choice - both methods good but, unless you can wield the angle grinder with confidence, stick to the hammer & chisel method.

 

[gcol]

But if you can manage to keep hold of an angle grinder without slitting your throat or cutting your fingers off, then the angle grinder is far easier. Point taken about the dust though.

 

[2scoops0406]

And by now, you could have re-tiled the whole room

 

[noseall]

pulverise the middle of the offending tile with a hammer.

it is surprising just how effective this method is.

collateral damage is minimal but be careful how hard you clout the tile.

there is such a word as overkill.

 

[2scoops0406]

Guess it depends upon the mood you're in. Walk upon nonchalantly to the tile, swing a mighty blow at it with club hammer, observe results :-

a) smug grin.
b) wring hands, why did I do that .......

 

[noseall]

there are two sides....





























....to every wall.

 

[gcol]

pulverise the middle of the offending tile with a hammer.

Typical builder!!!
Seriously though, reign your hammer swings in so that you only crack the tile - if you welly it, you'll damage the substrate and that's not the way to go about it.