The Tile Wall Demo: One Room Challenge Week 3
Week 3 of the One Room Challenge is upon us, and it’s all about the tile wall demo. Not being an expert…or someone who has EVER taken out tile, of course I did very little research. What could go wrong?!?
The Tools
- Chisel
- Pry Bar
- Rubber Hammer
- Drop Cloth
Getting Started
The best part about demo-ing this tile wall is that when my husband installed it many years ago, he didn’t cover this center portion of the wall behind the sink. That means, I had some tile-free wall area to get started.
I wanted to try to cause as little damage as possible, so I started out with a chisel, getting the tip under the edges of the tiles and using the rubber hammer to work the tiles away.
It worked like a charm. It just was taking a really REALLY long time. Like…one piece at a time kind of time.
Speeding It Up
I added in the use of the pry bar–once the edges had been started with the chisel. The pry bar did a good job of helping remove large sheets for a tile wall demo.
I have a warning: If you start with the pry bar edge, you run the risk of ripping up the wall too much. I know because I made this mistake along the way. It seemed to have the best results when I started the separation of the tile from the wall with the chisel, then used the pry bar to work it off the wall.
Get the Kids Involved
Just be a better parent than I am. I know, I know. She’s not wearing shoes or safety goggles, but she did have a lot of fun. It’s addictive–ripping things apart!
She wanted to help, so I put the pry bar in, and I told her to pull on it. She didn’t expect the loud “crack,” and I think she thought she did something wrong. But, then she was hooked!
Breaking the Wall
The “accent” of our tile wall is a stripe of glass tiles that runs across the middle and at the top by the ceiling. This stuff was ON THERE. I had to push and pull so hard that I broke the drywall.
One of the biggest takeaways from this is to know where your studs are. You can put a lot of pressure in that area without breaking the drywall. So, those spots were the areas I relied on most to do the heavy work. Each time I had to start a new section, I figured out how to use the stud to angle the pry bar right and left to work up the glue. It’s not perfect, but I was hoping to save some of the wall instead of replacing all of the drywall.
Annnnd…It Didn’t Work
In the end, I had to cut about 2/3 of the wall away to replace with new drywall. The biggest reason is that I’m hanging wallpaper in the top portion, and it would have taken a lot more time for me to get the chunks of glue off to make the surface smooth and prepped. I was already going to have to replace a portion of it anyway. The bottom will be fine as is–I’m putting up board and batten, so the wall can look like anything.
Tile Wall Demo…Success!
Guess what? While I was trudging around after cutting out the drywall, feeling a bit defeated, and NOT wanting to go to the store to buy more, I found…a really big piece of drywall in the garage. It pays to be a materials hoarder. I knew I had some smaller pieces, but sure enough, I’ve got one big piece–enough to not have to head to the store, so I’ll take that as a win.
On to the next! I’m just glad I have wallpaper and board & batten to look forward to because drywall, spackle and sanding is not my favorite. But, I’m pushing through! If you want to see the latest project updates, come find me on Instagram!
See the Progress:
Week Five: Bathroom Vanity Details
Week Six: Bathroom Vanity Makeover
Week Seven: The Floral Wallpaper Accent
Week Eight: The Bathroom Reveal!
