Start by treating the floor as if every piece of tile could be attached to sharp metal and heavy mortar so you can stay safe and efficient.

Begin by wearing a fit-tested respirator rated for dust, heavy-duty work gloves, eye protection, long sleeves, and steel-toed boots before you touch anything. Score the grout lines with a carbide grout saw to break bond and reduce large shards when you lift tile. Use a flat pry bar or wrecking bar and start at a loosened edge or an access hole, working a short lever stroke to pry tiles and the attached wire mesh up together; this helps keep the brittle mortar slab intact and reduces airborne dust. For stubborn areas, use a hammer and cold chisel to break the mortar into manageable pieces while keeping the mesh attached to those pieces so it does not spring up unpredictably. Load debris into rigid containers or heavy contractor bags, handling mesh edges carefully folded inward or wrapped with tape to control puncture risk. Wetting concrete dust lightly can reduce airborne particles but avoid soaking the site so you do not create a slurry that is hard to remove.

Common problems are unexpectedly sharp rusted mesh edges causing cuts, heavy mortar slabs that are difficult to lift, and excessive dust that causes respiratory irritation. For sharp edges, keep gloves thick and stiff, fold or tape the mesh edges as soon as you expose them, and use tongs or pliers to maneuver pieces when possible. If slabs are too heavy to lift safely, break them into smaller sections at the mortar joints or undercut with a chisel so you can lever each piece, and use a dolly or get a partner for moving large loads. To control dust, score and remove in small sections, use a particulate respirator, and run a shop vacuum with a high efficiency particulate filter on the wet area to capture settled dust.

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