I need help in removing a section of ceramic tile flooring in the bathroom. The current tiled floor butts up against a fireplace and garden tub wall that is also tiled with ceramic tile and I am afraid that by removing the floor near the wall, I could damage those wall tiles. I want to keep those wall tiles.
Is there a special tool that we allow me to cut where the floor meets the wall? The wall tiles are old and no longer available and are not replaceable. I also will have to remove down to the backer board that the floor tile sits on.

I would appreciate any insight! I want to be careful!

Thanks!

I cannot tell for sure by your pic, but it looks like the wall tiles are sitting on top of your floor tile. In this case, you will need to remove the first row of the tile at the joint. If you have the correct tools, you may be able to remove cut right at the joint, but there is no guarantee that you won't break any thing that way.

If you have to remove the first row at the floor joint on the wall, you will need to cut into the grout line above and on the sides of the tile. YOu may not need to cut the joint where the wall and floor connect because often there is so little room there. I use a roto zip with an attachement for clearing grout and for cutting tile, but if you don't have one - there are hand tools available to cut the grout out. This is a lot of detail work.

Once you have the grout lines cleared, carefully put a strong putting knife behind the tile to pop them off the wall.

Good luck

Thanks, cyberheater.
I realize that it is a tough job to do and perhaps I need to remove some of the flexible caulking at the floor to wall joint to get a better look at the grout and whether the wall tile is sitting on the floor tile. Sounds like I need to remove that bottom floor tile closest to the wall. I will look into a roto zip. Would a dremel with a grout removal attachment work just as well? I have seen these but don't have any first hand experience.
Thanks again for your time to help out.

(The reason for the removal of the floor tile is that we don't want to have carpeting in the master bath since it is hard to clean. Would prefer new floor tile. If this is not easily feasible, may have to just replace the carpeting and leave well enough alone!
Home projects can be challenging.)

When you do this kind of work - just doing one thing can create a series of other projects.
(grin) You have to have persistence and they don't show that on TV do they? LOL

Get that caulking off to see what you have.
They have "crafty" dremels and larger dremels. A roto zip is more heavy duty tool.

There is a tool that looks like a drill bit and you hold the tool as you run the bit within the grout line. I have never used the larger dremel, only the rotozip, but if make sure it's not the "crafy" dremel if you decide that way.

Read what the tools says it will do - that is not always a true blue statement, however. The bit and the rotozip Works slick and goes pretty fast that way. Make sure you buy one with the router attachment for a guide. They also have other bits for other projects too - it becomes extremely helpful for those detailed projects.

Thanks. I'll make sure I get the more heavy duty dremel if I attempt to do this. Here is a photo of the grout removal kit for the dremel that seems like it might work.

Does anyone else out there have another viable suggestion??
Maybe a different plan of attack? :confused:

If there is a big enough joint that the wall/floor joint that you can remove the floor tile portion - you only need to remove that grout joint.

The other thing to consider is just to get flooring that will go well with what you have already. The tile that surround the fireplace is good to have, but it is white.

Check that joint by removing some of the caulking from the opposite side of the tub area. See what you have first.