Flooring Tear-Out: The Layers Underneath Are the Job

Flooring removal is usually estimated on the visible surface and priced by what is underneath it. The layers are where the time and the weight are.

Tile on a mortar bed

The heaviest common flooring demolition there is. The tile itself is dense; the mortar bed underneath is denser and there is a lot of it. A single room can approach a weight limit on its own.

It also comes up in sharp irregular pieces, which load inefficiently and are hard on hands and tyres. Load it low and flat.

Glued-down vinyl and adhesive

The material is light; the problem is the adhesive left behind. Removing it is a separate job from removing the flooring, and it determines whether the new floor goes down flat.

Carpet and padding

Light when dry and dramatically heavier when wet. Cut it into strips as you pull it, roll each strip, and tie it — loose carpet loaded flat takes several times the space of the same carpet rolled.

Tack strips come up too and they are a hazard in the load and in the driveway. Collect them separately.

Underlayment

Stapled or nailed underlayment under old vinyl is frequently the thing that takes longest. It comes up in sheets when it goes well and in fragments when it does not, and either way there are a great many fasteners.

Sequencing the load

1. 1Mortar bed and tile first, low and spread across the floor.
2. 2Underlayment and wood next.
3. 3Rolled carpet and padding on top, filling the remaining volume.
4. 4Tack strips and fasteners contained rather than loose.
5. 5Adhesive scrapings bagged rather than loose.