How to Remove a Shower

If you live in a house long enough, sooner or later there will be small plumbing jobs that need attention. One of them might be replacing a shower fixture because it no longer works. If the problem is as simple as needing a new head, you can cure it with a trip to the hardware store, providing of course, you can get a head to fit the pipe. If not, then you're looking at some renovation type work to get the old one out, and install the new shower assembly.

The first thing to do, is turn off the water supply to the shower and/or bathroom. Next, take a rotary tool and cut along the grout between tiles that surround the shower assembly. This will allow you the leverage to get the tiles off.

There is no way to remove tiles intact. Use a tool to cut a gouge or line in the tile, then a chisel and hammer to break the tiles and pry them off. You'll need to clean all the leftover adhesive off your wall, in order to install new tile. This can usually be accomplished with a thin bladed tool and a hammer.

Install your new shower, and then re-do the tile around the assembly. One good tip, is that if you can't match your old tiles, remove tiles in a design or pattern, such as a cross, circle, or diamond, and then re-tile with a contrasting color or pattern for a nice decorative touch.