Hi,

I have ceramic tile on my floor and the walls of my shower that I would like to change. First is this too complicated for an amateur to do in one or two weekends? If not how do you remove the existing tile (installed by the builder) it and install new tile?

May I suggest you watch the Home and Garden TV channel on cable for a few weeks. They have all sorts of projects they do all the time and have a great show on now called Save My Bath. Although I don't think you want to spend some $20,000 or $30,000 on your bathroom (LOL) like they do, but the show is very informative and shows you how to do a lot of the floor and wall tile jobs. They also have a web site at HGTV.com that shows you the tile replacement techniques. From what I've gathered it's not that hard for a doit yourselfer to do provided you are sticking with the same configuration of toilet, tub, sink, etc. and not changing anything around. I myself have re-tiled a floor and it was fun. The hard part was finding the tile cutter. Be sure to buy lots of extra tiles for when you don't cut them properly and make a booboo. It's a great learning experience and fun in my opinion. I fix everything myself. I've done kitchen cabinets with counters all by myself from measuring, picking out the cabinets, to installing them myself and putting the countertop on. Now that's work... and if not done right... guess what... you're stuck if you measured wrong. LOL (But I didn't and they look great).

You did not indicate if you were removing the old ceramic or just tiking on top of the old. What is your plan and what subfloor is beneath the old tile? If the sub is wood then the tile was likely set in modified thinset and you will have lots of scrapping to do.

Here is a tool that may help:

C. & E. FEIN GmbH - Der FEIN MULTIMASTER

I will be removing the old ceramic tile and putting on new tile (I haven't decided what type). The tile was put on when the building was built (2003), I am not sure what exactly is underneath but I believe it is cement.

I would leave the toilet and bath alone but would replace the vanity which does not have tiles underneath yet.

Is your home on a concrete slab or is the cement just a 1" thick pan? This stuff works particularly well on cement. DITRA Installation Instructions - Schluter-Systems Cement will eventually crack and that cracks your tile. Ditra makes a floating rigid surface that will abseorb cracks up to 1/16" without cracking the tile or grout.

They give wonderful advice in person at any Lowe's Home Improvement store. If there is one in your area you can go in and ask them all the questions you want about tile and even get help picking out what subfloor should be installed and you can discuss the merits of each product right there and then with someone. You don't have to go to Lowe's per se if you don't want to, but at some point in time you're going to have to purchase materials so why not take advantage of their free advice and free help. I don't know where else to send you that they would not charge you for this info. Sometimes seeing something in person helps me understand any question I have in my mind much easier.

Your floor most likely has concrete board and is probably screwed down or nailed, as for pulling it up, A pry bar and hammer is all your need, keep in mind if you have a cabnit and you most likely do, it may have to come up if the tile is under it or the backer board is underneath it.

First things would be to remove the shoe molding from around the edge of the base, after this just pick a tile and then take your hammer and bust it up till you can get through to the backer board. Be sure your wearing glasses by the way, as Norm would say there is no better safety rule then to wear these safety glasses... lol. Now back to work on the bathroom. Now the rest of the work is just tough and you just have to commit to it and get it done, once you make it past the tile you'll need a pry bar that you can get under neath the backer and start prying up, it may come up in big pieces or small pieces just keep prying,
Once you get it all up the hard part is over, now there is many small details I've left out and I don't mind going into detail of everything you'd need to do but id need to see a pic of the bathroom to do so. You can send it to toolman101476 at Yahoo. No charge