We’re no strangers to removing unsightly trees—real ones or otherwise. Early on, dealing with the dead, dying, and dangerous trees that the inspector warned us about was a major part of reshaping our front yard. But this time the troublesome trees were ceramic: a repeating tree motif in the bathroom tile that wrapped all four walls.
The beige-on-beige palette of the bathroom is tolerable overall, but that tree border stole all the attention. Every time we walked in, the opening chant from The Lion King ran through our heads. We spent more time considering options than we expected, and ultimately chose clear glass subway tile to replace the border—modern, reflective, and able to pick up the room’s colors while breaking up the monotone look.
Holding a single glass tile next to the original border immediately modernized the look. The glass reads slightly blue in some photos because it reflects the wall color, but in person it’s clear and subtly changes with the surrounding hues.
We shopped around locally and at big-box stores before finding the right clear subway tile at a tile shop. With a small discount the tile itself only set us back about fifty dollars to replace the entire border. The biggest unexpected cost was the tool we needed to remove the old tile grout: a Dremel MultiMax with the grout-removal attachment. Between the tool and the special head we spent roughly $130, but we considered it an investment. The tool has interchangeable heads and has already proven useful on other projects, so it won’t sit idle after this job.
We were a little nervous at first, but the Dremel MultiMax was fairly straightforward. We attached the grout bit, turned the tool on, and guided the oscillating head along the grout lines. It worked slowly but deliberately, breaking up grout without aggressively scratching the surrounding tiles—so small slips weren’t catastrophic. The grout joints provided a natural guide, which helped keep the cuts straight.
John took the first turn with the new tool and then I gave it a go. Removing the grout is the most time-consuming part; once the grout was gone around a tile we expected it to pop free with a light tap. Instead the tiles tended to chip and come off in shards, which makes safety glasses essential. On our first tile a fragment hit my neck and left a small cut—reminding us to wear protective gear and work carefully.
After a bit more careful prying with a screwdriver and a hammer, we freed our first tile. The subsequent tiles came off more easily. It turned out the tiles were applied over drywall rather than cement board. That’s not ideal for long-term wet areas, but this wall sits next to the toilet, not in the shower, so we decided it wasn’t worth replacing the substrate.
The process was messy—thinset and tile fragments everywhere—but manageable. The rows that had been set with a different thinset separated more easily, so the pace picked up as we worked. By the end of Clara’s nap—about two and a half hours later—we had removed the entire border without further injuries. A thorough sweep and wipe-down followed, and then a quick shower in the hall bathroom.
Tackling the demo in a single nap-time felt like a victory. We still needed to prep the wall and set the new glass subway tile, so that portion of the project is coming next. If you’re considering removing tile yourself: wear eye protection, go slowly when cutting grout, and be ready for dust and debris. Using an oscillating tool like the Dremel MultiMax made grout removal more controlled than chiseling, and the replacement clear subway tile will give the room an updated, lighter look.
For context, this refresh is part of a larger bathroom update that included painting, trim work, and replacing fixtures. We’ll share the tile installation and final reveal in a follow-up post.