Bathroom wall

[Barry J]

Right now I have tile on the walls of my bathroom, all the way around, which goes up 50 in.
I want to take down the tile and put up wooden tongue and groove planks in place of the tile.
What is the easiest way to take down the tile?
Due to my hot water baseboard, should I rip out the sheet rock also, so that I can slip the planks behind the baseboard heater or cut the planks around it?
Thanks Barry

 

[Standardairconditioner]

Unless it was a poor tile job, that thinset mortar is stuck on the drywall.

You're tearing down the walls down to the stud.

Once you get to the stud, you can do whatever you want, it's new construction.

I can't give you any more input without pics.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[XTN]

I just did this. Dirty, filthy, loud, soul-sucking job. Heck, it's why I'm on this site.

My tile was sloppy, but properly slathered with thin set and attached to cement board screwed into the studs.

I'm handy, but strictly an amateur.

After much, much, much, much trial and error my method was a 2lb sledge and a metal 4" paint scraper (thin and sharp enough to chisel individual tiles off with). Follow the studs and remove the screws as they're revealed. Durarock has a mesh membrane that makes it easier to crumble away if you slice at it.

Eye protection. Best respirator you can financially justify. HEPA filter for your shop vac and seal off the door.

Gloves. Thick gloves.

I can still taste the ceramic dust. The cuts on my hands are finally healed.

But I was doing it in discrete spurts. If your tile is on drywall it's probably MUCH easier to pry off.

Maybe you chip each tile off neatly. Maybe the thin set comes off nice. In my case it didn't.

OR. Put your planks over the tile. In my opinion it'll save you a lot of pain.

Just an uneducated recollection of a grubby ordeal. I'd love to hear your experience.

 

[Rick Vallejo]

How long did this take you XTN? I have something similar coming up and feelin' the dread.

 

[Dj2]

Rick,
I don't know how long it took him, but it would take a demolition guy 4 hours or less to knock a regular size shower to the studs, depending on how it was built.
Actually, in some cases, it takes longer to clear the crap and dispose of it than to demolish.