What to Do with Old Tiles

Refurbishing your bathroom or kitchen normally produces the awkward task of removing and disposing of tiles. Statistics displayed by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association showcases that over the last few years, the UK’s spending on bathrooms has increased and is projected to grow further into the future. This means they’ll be plenty of people who will need an effective way to get rid of this cumbersome waste whether it’s from tiling a bathroom, kitchen or any other room.

Tile Disposal Options

The cost and best methods on how to dispose of tiles will be based on what quantity of tiles you need to get rid of. Our core services will be ideal for removing small to medium amounts from projects like a bathroom refurbishment. If you do have larger amounts of tiles it’s still worth getting in contact with us as we may be able to sort out a bespoke solution to your requirements.

Here’s a quick example of a job and how to get rid of tiles. In this scenario, we will look at re-tiling this shower cubicle.

We’ve measured the total width and height of the area which has tiles to be 2.3m x 2.3m

We used this online tool to work out what that is in metres squared, which was 5.3m2

On average, 1m2 worth of tiles weighs around 20kg

With this in mind 5.3 x 20KG = 106kg

Bear in mind as well, that this is based on rough averages and the weight of your tiles may vary.

It’s a good idea to know around about what your waste weighs so you can get an accurate price and get the best deal.

Tile Disposal Bag

If you’re looking for a tile disposal bag you should try our Clearabee Skip Bags which come in a range of sizes. Our mini bags would be perfect for the example above as you can order multiple bags which each hold 25kg. Make sure not to fill them with more than 25kg worth of tiles as 25kg is the maximum weight for items to be safely lifted by one person.

A 10 bag roll of mini bags will cost £4.99 with a £3.99 delivery fee, once filled a collection can be organised and cost as low as £8.99.

How to Dispose of Broken Tiles – Clearabee Collections

If you’re removing tiles you may be performing a refurb of your entire bathroom, in which case you could benefit more from our ‘Man and Van’ service. When you’ve got plenty of tiles, old bathroom cabinets, sinks and toilets which you need to get rid of, a pair of helping hands makes life a lot easier. A Clearabee collection will see our waste operative do all the hard work and heavy lifting for you. We would ask that heavy and loose waste like tiles to be put into manageable bags that we can carry. If you have any queries regarding what is the best way to get rid of waste from your kitchen or bathroom refurbishment, get in contact and we’ll recommend an ideal solution.

How to Remove Floor Tiles Without Breaking Them

We’re not bathroom or kitchen re-fitter so we won’t be able to help you dismantle these rooms. Here is a quick guide on how to remove tiles ready to be collected or put into a Skip Bag. We’ve detailed how to remove tiles without breaking them just in case you are intending on reusing them. If you’re not worried about if the tiles break, this job becomes a lot easier.

Not every tile can be removed without breaking as some will be attached so firmly it will make the task nearly impossible. Below we’ll go over a quick guide on how to remove tiles yourself but if you are not confident about performing this job you should allow someone more experienced to do it.

Here are a few tools and items you may need:

safety glasses

work gloves

utility knife

small chisel

small flat screwdriver

hammer

1 – One of the big components keeping tiles in place is the grouting around them. So, to make removing tiles easier you’ll have to get as much of this off as possible. You can do this by running a utility knife in-between the tiles. Once the grouting is loosened you could try running a small flat-edged screwdriver or chisel down these grooves to remove even more.

2 – Removing the first tile is the hardest as there will be no way to get under it. As such, you may have to settle on the fact that the first tile will most likely get broken. Try and find a loose tile that wobbles when pushed on the corners. These loosened tiles will naturally be the easiest to remove.

Try to put your screwdriver in-between two tiles and lift one from underneath. If you can fit your screwdriver into a small gap, use your hammer to tap it in further to get even more leverage. If needs be you can simply break the first tile off by smashing or snapping it and then remove the following tiles more carefully as they will be easier to access.

3 – With the first tile off you can repeat the step of placing your chisel underneath a tile and prising it off. It will be easier as your chisel should be able to get under the tile at a fatter angle. Again, use your hammer to carefully knock the screwdriver or chisel in further as this should hopefully lift the tile without damaging it.

4 – After the first couple of attempts of trying to get tiles off without breaking them, you may have to admit that breaking them will be the only option. In which case you can repeat the steps above but use a bit more force. Removing tiles without the worry of breaking makes this job 10 times easier and faster.

Ceramic Tile Recycling

If tiles are taken off carefully they can remain intact as we have seen above, and then they can be used again.

Before removing tiles you could think of anywhere else you may want to reuse them around your own home. Maybe the tiles behind your hob have become encased with grease and need replacing? If you can’t use them, ask yourself if anyone from your family or friends might? Maybe someone has moved into their first apartment or home and is thinking about redecorating. Redecorating with tiles is not something most people will do regularly so you may quickly run out of options and be left with a load of tiles with nothing to do with them.

Tiles are classed as heavy and architectural waste which makes them difficult to deal with. If you were to turn up to your local recycling centre with a van full of tiles, they would probably turn you away. If you are intending on taking tiles to the skip, check to make sure how much they can accept. For the simplest and most low effort option, have a look into a Clearabee collection. We are also proud to be able to recycle 95% of the waste we collect. If you would like to request a quote in regards to your tile disposal, get in contact with us here.