If there’s a lot of dust, cover your nose and mouth with a face mask, cloth, or bandana. Move any furniture pressed against the wall out of the way so you can access all of the tiles easily.
Be careful not to scratch or cut through the wall.
Use a putty knife to remove tiles smaller than 6 by 6 inches (15 by 15 cm) so the thin, flexible blade is able to fit underneath them far enough to pry them up without cracking the tiles.
If you don’t have a chisel, you can use a large flathead screwdriver.
Remove the remaining tiles the same way, using gentle taps from your hammer to avoid damaging them so they can be reused.
It’s okay to stack the tiles on top of each other, but use shorter stacks so you put too much pressure on the bottom tiles, which could cause them to crack. You don’t need to add any soap or solvents to the water. If you have a lot of tiles to clean, use multiple buckets or a large container such as a garbage can to hold them all.
Remove the grout from the edges of all of your tiles so they’re uniform and consistent.
Remove the adhesive and backing materials from all of the tiles with your floor scraper. You can find 4 in (10 cm) floor scrapers at your local hardware and home improvement store, or by ordering one online.
You can find grout cleaner and scouring pads at department stores and by ordering them online.
Make sure you use clean water so you don’t spread more dirt onto them. If you plan to store the tiles, stack them neatly on each other and keep them in a cool, dry location so they aren’t exposed to temperature fluctuations that could damage them.
Mix your adhesive and grout according to the directions on the packaging.
Allow the countertop or table to dry for a full 24 hours before you use them. Mix the mortar or grout according to the directions on the packaging.
You could also use hot glue to attach the cork sheet. You can use your tiles as coasters immediately after you attach the cork to them. If the tiles are large enough, print out photographs or designs, attach them to the front of your tiles with mod podge, and cover them with clear tape to laminate them!
Some magnets even come with a self-adhesive on 1 side so all you need to do is remove the paper backing to expose the adhesive and stick the magnets to your tiles.
