ᐅ Removing tiles from a drywall partition?

Hello,

We want to remove the tiles in our bathroom. The tiles in the shower area are not much of a problem, but the tiles on the drywall construction are more challenging (about 4.5 m2 (48 sq ft)). I have read a lot in forums that it is very difficult or even impossible to remove existing tiles from drywall without damaging the gypsum boards.

Is it better to tile over the existing tiles in this area? There will probably be issues with deep electrical outlets, fixtures, etc., but the tiles underneath would remain intact. I am not entirely sure about the adhesion in this case.

Or should we try to remove the tiles anyway and then skim coat the walls? We don’t necessarily want to remove the entire drywall.

Thank you.

It is probably faster to tear off the tiles and replace the drywall than to carefully try to separate the tile adhesive and drywall without causing damage. I assume that the green board layer with the waterproofing will be torn off anyway and will have to be redone. But this is just a layperson’s opinion.

bruno1990 schrieb:

that it is very difficult or even impossible to remove the existing tiles from the drywall

If the tiles are properly bonded, I would replace “very difficult” with “impossible.”

bruno1990 schrieb:

Is it better to install tile over tile at this point? There will likely be issues with deep electrical outlets, fixtures, etc., but the tiles underneath will remain intact. I’m not entirely sure about the adhesion.

If you can manage the electrical outlets and similar fittings, that’s not a problem. If necessary, just apply a bonding primer first. It should then adhere perfectly.

Thank you. I noticed that the wall in the shower area (2.5 m high, 1 m wide) is also a drywall construction.
I think it makes sense to remove all drywall panels along with the existing tiles, then install new drywall panels and new tiles.

The issue I see is how to avoid damaging the existing substructure (probably made of steel) during this process. I assume the screws are embedded under tile adhesive and filler. How can these be removed without bending or otherwise damaging the substructure?

Hello,

I just tried to remove the tiles from the drywall panels. It doesn’t look too bad; some adhesive is still stuck, but I was able to remove it with a milling tool or fill in any damaged areas with putty.

In the shower area, it’s worse. I found something like gypsum (green), and the demolition hammer really makes holes in it. There must be a concrete wall behind it. Was drywall used here for waterproofing back then?

How can this be repaired? It will be primed and waterproofed again before installing new tiles anyway.

In the end, the drywall sheets were completely removed due to holes appearing in many places. New sheets and new tiles were installed afterward.