How Do You Remove Ceramic Tile From Plywood?
Removing ceramic tile from plywood is a physically difficult job but a relatively straightforward one. The idea is to break the mortar bond between the tile and the underlayment, which can be achieved by either prying it off or smashing the whole tile from above. It’s best to prepare for both methods and use them in combination, since the characteristics of each floor will differ. Be on guard at all times for flying shards of ceramic. Put on your protective clothing, gloves and goggles. Starting in the middle of the floor, spread out several towels. Hold your sledge hammer at about eye-level above the towels and swing it down to the surface. Don’t drive it in with full force, let it bounce instead. Repeat several times, letting the weight of the hammer and the vibration of the bouncing motion break and shake the tiles loose. After you’ve cracked and broken up a few square feet, scoop out the debris with your shovel and dump it into a plastic garbage can. Bring in your standard hammer a
