We removed mosaic tile that went half way up the walls in our bathroom and just decided to take out the drywall with the tile. The tile did come off easy from the wall, but sanding the thinset off etc. would have taken forever and I don't think we would have ever gotten a smooth wall.

However if your going to put up wainscoting like beadboard it might be ok to just take out the tile, sand, and then put up the wainscoting. Sometimes on design shows they've actually just covered the tile with the beadboard instead of taking it down.

I don't know about power tools for tile removal we just used a hammer and small crowbar - it worked great and went fairly quickly.

DIY tips? Go slow, research everything before you do it, be prepared for unexpected surprises good and bad, have a budget and be aware you will likely go over it, realize that some things may be better left to licensed professionals.

I suppose I should ask this: This is thick saltillo right? Handmade saltillo? Or thin 1/4"-3/16" saltillo-type ceramic tiles.

Regarding the saltillo, often times real saltillo is set into a wet mortar bed. It can be a bear to remove.

You said this was set with thinset, so that might make the removal a bit easier in that you have a flat cured slab and just have to remove the tile and thinset.

You can either use 2-4 lb hammer and a proper chisel and whack away at the edges to pop them off.

Easier yet would be to rent and use something like a Bosch hammer drill and a tile removal chisel. Like buddah.

I'll come back with more later, gotta go watch the Red Sox.

I'm wondering, what kind of foundation do you have? Is it slab or do you have a sub-floor? We have subfloor and when we removed some ugly travertine tiles from our fixer upper home, there was a layer of mortar on top of backerboard that was screwed to the subfloor. It was a nightmare to remove, my DH used a compressor and small handheld jack hammer type of tool to do it. On the west coast, like California, slab is the standard and if I remember correctly (kind of iffy on that) when we removed tile off a slab foundation there it was much easier.

Sox are up 9-1 with a rain delay...

Here are my questions:
(1)Yesterday I removed one saltillo tile from the floor by using hammer. Some old white thinset came out with the tile, some didn't. It looks to me the underneath is concrete. May I place thinset/tile directly on the concrete slab? Or should I install Ditra membrane first, then thinset and tile? The original tiles are in good condition right now. No cracks. They are just worn out.

Once you get the tile and thinset off, get the slab surface as smooth as you can. you don't want any debris that can cause a newly applied tile to rock or wobble. If there are no structural cracks in your slab then you can tile right over it. Get it clean, moisten it a bit with water in a spray bottle, then use a highly modfied bagged thinset to set your new tile using a 1/4" square notched trowel. Use the flat edge of the trowel to get a thin veneer of thinset on the area to be worked, then use the notched side to remove the excess. Easy to do. If you do have any structural cracks, then Ditra or Noble membrane would be fine to use.

(2)What exact power tool(s) should I use to speed up the tile/grout removal process? I tried to find the answer online. However, it seems different people favor different tools. I'm totally confused.

See my previous post. Had you not already removed one tile I'd recommend using a diamond blade on an angle grinder to cut the grout and to help release the first tile. I'd also recommend calling your local rental place and ask what they have. A Bosch or equivalent will probably run you $40-$50 for a day's rental. Maybe less for a half-day.

Once the first tile is removed the remainder should pop off. Again, a tile chisel and 2-4 lb hammer powered by elbow grease, or a rented Bosch would make easy work of it. Run the edge of the chisel at a low angle right along the surface of the slab.

(3)What would be the correct/easiest way to remove the small tiles from the walls? Do I have to install new drywall afterwards?

Here you can use a 3" or 4" stiff putty knife at a very low angle. Run it between the tile and the drywall, trying to not gouge the drywall. How successful you are depends on the adhesive that was used. If you trash the drywall, no worries, you can run the wainscot right over it, or cut the drywall out below the height of the cap rail and install your wainscot right on the studs. You might have to do the latter if the wainscot is going behind the toilet and you have minimal clearance between the wall and the toilet.

(4)What aspects do you think are important for my first DIY project? I would greatly apprecite any suggestions!

-Know your limitations.
-Think the entire project through, step-by-step.
-Figure out a good work order, demo through finish.
You have a vanity. You want a pedestal sink. Don't forget to install blocking to attach lag sink to the wall.
-Storage...you're losing a vanity. Will you have other storage?
-Timeline. Figure out how long things will take then double it. At a minimum. If you get off your plan, think ahead. You don't want to complete a task only to wreck or undo it in the next phase.
-Know your materials. Only use modified dry powder thinset for setting the tiles on the floor and for grouting the floor and wall tile. No premixed "adhesive" from a tub for setting floor tile. No premixed "grout" from a tub for grouting floor or wall tile.

I am so touched by all the detailed answers you guys posted. Thank you so much for your help and time!

mongoct - Unfortunately, the saltillo tiles I have are the thick ones, 3/4"-1" or so. It has very wide (1") grey grout. The grout is very hard, like concrete. After reading your post, I start to be unsure about what is under my tiles. I thought the tile was set with thinset because I found some white substance (1/8"-1/4") were stuck to the back of the tile I removed. Some of the white substance stuck to the floor. What if my saltillo was set into a wet mortar bed? Will it be impossible to remove?

It won't be impossible to remove, but likely more difficult. The reason saltillos are set in a wet bed is because of the variations in their thickness. And as you might have discovered, the "grout" can sometimes just be the same mortar as the setting bed.

After you remove them you might have raggedy surface on the top of your slab. Best bet is to remove the debris, then use a bonding primer then a coat of mortar troweled on to smooth out your slab's surface and bring it up to the needed elevation.

Once cured, you can thinset down your new tiles.

With true saltillo over mortar, I'd recommend renting the rotary hammer or something equivalent to assist with the demolition.

Mongo

Mongo - Should I remove the mortar bed as well? Is the concrete slab under the mortar bed? Sorry for so many questions...

There's no need to unless you have elevation issues. Since you're replacing a "thick" material with a "thin" material, you don't need to take the base down any more than necessary to do the saltillo demo.

If what you have after the saltillo is removed is sound, then leave it be. Just remove what needs to be removed, then start adding on again.

I've seen saltillo set over a 1-2" mortar bed over an existing slab. I've also seen saltillo set directly over a 4-5" thick wet mix as a new slab was being poured.

Sort of like you inferred there, who knows what is under what?

Questions? That's what the forum is for! Ask away! It's better to ask now then to ask later.

Best, Mongo

Call me crazy but I painted my walls before I installed the wainscotting. I didn't want to deal with taping and I was careful putting it up.

Thanks again, Mongo! You're so nice and patient!