How to Remove Wall Tile & Cut Out Sheetrock

Put on safety gear. Wall tile pieces can easily cause serious injury. Wear safety glasses, heavy gloves and a mask to protect your lungs from any tile or sheetrock dust.

Protect your work area. Lay down plastic dropcloths underneath the wall that will be worked with. This not only protects your flooring, but makes the clean-up stage easier. If the space will allow, place a small garbage can under the work area that can catch the tiles as they fall.

Break the tile. Pick your starting tile and hit it sharply in the center with a hammer. Use a chisel to scrape off the pieces. Continue until all the tile is removed.

Cut away the sheetrock. If the sheetrock is soggy or moldy, a utility knife should be able to get through it. If not, use a handsaw. You can break through one corner with your hammer to create a starting point. Cut through all of the sheetrock and dispose of it.

Clean up the work area. Make sure that the wall joists are free of any remaining sheetrock pieces. If applicable, pull out any nails left behind from the sheetrock with the claw end of a hammer. Clean up the dust and debris from the job. A shop vac works well if there is a lot of dust.