Tile removal is a dusty, dirty job that needs to be handled in a way to keep the dust from migrating through out the rest of the house. Let's make clean up about 100 times faster with a few simple steps. Pick up some 1 mil. plastic 10'x20' at your hardware or home improvement center in the painting section next to the drop cloths. This will be used to create barriers or walls from floor to ceiling. Next, you will need some cardboard cut into rectangles 6"x12". Now take your staple gun and fasten the plastic to the ceiling using the cardboard to hold it in place. This keeps the plastic from tearing through the staples and creates a surprisingly strong hold. I usually run the cardboard every 6' or so but you can do whatever you want. Now do the same at the floor tacking to the baseboards.
Another trick is to use a portable fan at a exterior doorway or window. Point it facing outside and keep it running during the demo process. This will help in creating a vacuum which will help the dust to exit the house. Try not to open those plastic barriers as that will allow the dust to escape into your protected area. This method is a great way to start a dirty job that will save you tons of time cleaning later on and is exactly how ceramictilepro starts the demo process. Do yourself a favor by using these tile removal tips that will allow you to spend time admiring your finished tile job and not cleaning your house!
You can actually use this method for any type of construction in your house. Use drop cloths to protect the floors. Don't forget to protect yourself and wear a respirator if there is heavy tile removal. Dust masks work ok for minor stuff but I feel that they don't provide enough protection. Wear gloves and eye protection and use 5 gallon buckets to haul your broken tile outside. I have an example of using plastic for barriers in my a How To Tile Stairs video that kept the dust from migrating upstairs into the living area and worked great!
