Start by scoring the grout lines and then work from the edges so you can lift whole tiles rather than shatter them.

Use a rotary hammer with a point chisel or a flat chisel bit set to a low impact and moderate rotation to reduce shock that causes tiles to crack. Start at a perimeter tile or a threshold where there is a natural gap and insert the chisel under the tile at a shallow angle of about fifteen to thirty degrees so you are prying the tile up instead of punching through it. Keep the hammer at a steady pace and change direction when you feel the tile resisting; alternating pull directions prevents stress concentrating in one spot and popping tiles into fragments. When you encounter stubborn adhesive, increase leverage by sliding a flat pry bar under the chisel and using the bar as a second fulcrum to lift the tile in a controlled manner. Adjust tool speed and pressure rather than force; higher speed with light pressure tends to shear the bond cleanly while hard blows produce cracks. For large-format tile use two people working in a coordinated sweep so one keeps the chisel angle consistent while the other lifts the freed tile to prevent it from snapping as it leaves the substrate.

Common problems are tiles fracturing into small pieces because the chisel is driven too steeply or with too much impact; correct that by flattening your angle, reducing impact setting, and using steady lift motions. Another frequent issue is adhesive failure leaving mortar behind which makes prying harder; score through grout lines first and use a carbide scraper on low speed to undercut the adhesive before levering. A third concern is damaging the substrate with aggressive blows or wrong tooling; prevent this by testing technique on a spare tile area, using softer setting and lighter pressure, and switching to a flat scraper when you detect substrate scraping so you avoid gouging.

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