What You Need to Know to Get the Best Floor Removal
So, you have decided you want a new floor, and you have therefore realized that the old floor needs to go. Sounds simple, right?
For the most part, floor removal is a fairly straightforward process and tends to be something not given all that much thought. However, when considering a new floor, it is vitally important to understand the distinction between what a flooring contractor can and will do for you and what a floor removal specialist can accomplish.
Even more crucial to understand is the world of difference between the floor removal techniques of the past and the full service, dustless floor removal performed by only a few in the present.
While full service, dustless floor removal does come at a higher price up front, by the end of the job, the old school work and old school price ends up costing about the same amount with ten times more hassle. Therefore, a more detailed explanation of the differences between the old way of removing floors and the new way reveals the clear benefits of keeping up with the times in floor removal.
Even more crucial to understand is the world of difference between the floor removal techniques of the past and the full service, dustless floor removal performed by only a few in the present.
The Consequences of the Old Way of Removing Floors
Asking your flooring contractor to take out your old floor just seems like common sense. Heck, he’s the one putting in the new floor, so it feels only natural that he would be the one removing the old floor as well. And you are right: removing the old floor is absolutely something he will do… at a cost.
What home and business owners need to remember is that the total cost of the project is not finalized with your contractor’s per square foot price estimate – not by a long shot. There is still more that you will need to pay: more money, yes, but also more time, more stress, more mess, more hassle, and headaches.
The old way of removing floors has been around since the Romans and has always involved hammers, chisels, grinders, and a bunch of guys banging away at your floor. Oh yeah, you should know: they’ll be in your house for the next few days. In the end, you will end up with a clean floor, but the aftermath may still not be what you imagined.
The truth is, the guy that wants to help you design and then install a nice and shiny new floor probably will not have much interest in the old way of removing floors. After all, it is hard, dirty, sweaty work. He knows it is a nuisance, but he also knows that it is necessary for him to be able to lay a new floor.
So, he will quote you a cheap price. He wants to make his money on the flooring and installation, not in the pain in the backside that is the old way of removing floors. He will get a bunch of guys, and hopefully, they will get the work done in the time and at the price allotted: hopefully. Please notice that “time” and “price” are the overriding factors. There is no mention of quality in this floor removal business model.
Think about this: how can you work towards both economy and quality when the intention of the task at hand is to get as many guys as you can to work as hard as they can and as fast as they can to get rid of as much flooring as they can as quickly as they can? Without luck, you can’t.
Where does the luck come in? Well, not even the best contractor knows what is under your flooring. They are also wondering: which sorts of adhesives are there? What is the construction and quality of the sub floor? Are the tiles and/or planks barely stuck down and will they come up easily? What sorts of glues and mortars were used and how hard will those be to take up? When doing this work primarily by hand, these factors dictate how many men and how much time will be required to do the job.
Harder mortar, an uneven sub floor, or – even worse— a delicate sub floor could spell increased costs and new problems for your finances. When it comes to adhesives, things could be even bleaker, because adhesives can be nearly impossible to get up by hand in some circumstances. One hundred square feet of floor glue could take one man three hours to pull up, or it could take eight.
So, nine times out of ten, your contractor will continue to do the work for you until his costs reach the price he has quoted you. We all know that nobody works for free. Still, you might get lucky: the floor may come up easily, and then the per square foot price quoted will have been sufficient. Otherwise, your contractor – or rather, your contractor’s people – is going to leave glue, mortar, low spots, or holes in the concrete unaddressed. He will do his best to floor over it and work around it, but in the end, you will pay full price for a discount job.
And none of this is the worst part!
The Biggest Consequence of the Old Way of Removing Floors
The removal of one square foot of tile generates one pound or more of dust. One pound! The situation is not quite as bad for wood and glue, but the airborne mess is still significant. And dust doesn’t just disappear, you know. It gets all over your house: everywhere, in and on everything. Plastic and tape are not the solution. At one pound per one square foot of tile, the dust will go where it wants and may get trapped inside your home for months.
That amount of dust will join the dust that was already hiding beneath your flooring, and this overwhelming amount will quickly settle throughout your house. Trying to clean it all up will take weeks and will not be easy: sweeping is ineffective at removing the dust and actually keeps it circulating around the house. Vacuuming is better but still does not sufficiently remove the dust from soft surfaces. Furthermore, in the extended period of time that you spend trying to rid your home of those pounds of dust, nasty dust-loving residents of nature such as dust mites, bacteria, and fungi will have moved in as well. With these changes, the safety and sanitation of your house will decrease, and your own health could suffer as a result.
When your body breathes in large amounts of dust, inflammations such as rhinitis, the inflammation of the mucous membrane, and bronchitis, the inflammation of the trachea, can occur. If large particles of dust make it to your lungs, the formation of various tissues and scarring in the lungs is possible.
The Benefits of the New Way of Removing Floors
So, the old way of removing floors involves hasty work, shoddy results, and endless dust. Not the best start to your flooring project.
Now, imagine a small team of trained floor removing professionals who only use patented processes and equipment. They are quickly in and out of your house, leaving perfectly prepared floors and virtually no dust behind.
The modern and professional floor removal approach employs emission-free, battery-powered machines capable of removing floors from an entire house or building in just ONE DAY. This more efficient process also causes less damage and leaves a far superior subfloor completely ready for new installation.
Yet, the most crucial aspect of a contemporary, skillful system of floor removal is the capturing of all of the dust. This valuable feature is only truly accomplished when HEPA Certified Air Cleaners with vacuum suction are directed at the source of the dust as it is created. This method secures even dust unseen to the naked eye.
Ultimately, you have to ask yourself: would you use a plumber to do your electrical work? Of course not! Experience and innovation make contractors experts, and the same is true for all trades, even flooring removal.
Yet, the most crucial aspect of a contemporary, skillful system of floor removal is the capturing of all of the dust. This valuable feature is only truly accomplished when HEPA Certified Air Cleaners with vacuum suction are directed at the source of the dust as it is created. This method secures even dust unseen to the naked eye.
The Benefits of Speedy Floor Removal
Speedy Floor Removal professionals are a unique set of contractors. Our effective training, knowledge, and motivation combined with considerate client support and high moral character are ideal characteristics for enabling us to really stand out in the industry. Another top priority of ours is also a rarity: we always want you feel comfortable with us in your home.
Our team is ahead of the curve by utilizing our patented dustless removal tools and cutting-edge equipment. Our videos demonstrate the amazing dustless system of Speedy Floor Removal in action, and our reviews on Angie’s List from previous customers back up our claims about character and client support. See what they have to say about our team and then compare us to whomever else you might be considering. We are up to the challenge, and so is the new and improved way to remove floors!
