Flooring Removal & Subfloor Repair

The ServiceSection 02 of 15

A discipline of its own, before any new floor.

Removal and subfloor repair is the work of taking up the existing floor, identifying what is actually underneath, and bringing the slab or subfloor to a condition where new material will last.

It is a standalone scope, and in older Miami-Dade and Broward homes it is rarely as simple as it looks. What comes up might be a sound slab, a thick mortar bed from a prior tile job, original terrazzo that was covered rather than removed, or mid-century vinyl tile over black cutback adhesive. Each of those is a different project. We test before demolishing rather than after, and we hand over a substrate that has been measured — not one that merely looks dry.

Moisture testASTM F2170

In-situ relative-humidity probes set at roughly 40% of slab depth and left to equilibrate — a reading from inside the slab, not off its surface.

Asbestos window1950s–70s

Vinyl tile and black mastic from that era commonly contained asbestos. On pre-1980s homes we test before grinding or aggressive scraping.

Licensed GCCBC1265280

Elbaz Construction holds the certified building contractor licence and coordinates licensed abatement where testing requires it.

ScopeSection 03 of 15

What removal and repair actually covers.

Testing first, demolition second. That order is the whole point.

01Assessment and testingIdentifying the existing floor and what is likely beneath it, and testing suspect material before anything is disturbed.

On a pre-1980s home with original vinyl tile still down, a sample goes for testing before any grinding or aggressive scraping. Intact, undisturbed material is generally low risk; sanding it is not.

02Abatement coordinationWhere a sample returns positive, licensed abatement is brought in before our work continues.

This is not a step to work around or hurry. It changes sequencing and cost, and it is the reason testing happens before a schedule is promised.

03Protection and containmentDust control, protected routes and controlled debris removal, particularly in occupied homes and condo buildings.

Tile demolition generates a great deal of fine dust. Containment and extraction are part of the scope rather than an optional extra.

04Floor removalTile, vinyl, carpet, timber or laminate taken up, with the fixing method dictating the method of removal.

The aim is to remove the covering without damaging the substrate underneath. Aggressive removal that gouges a slab creates repair work that did not need to exist.

05Mortar bed and adhesive removalThick-set beds ground down and residual adhesive removed to leave a workable surface.

A previous tile job often leaves an inch or more of sand-cement bed. It has to come down, or the new floor sits proud of every threshold in the house.

06Substrate assessmentFlatness checked against the tolerance the chosen floor requires, plus cracks, spalling and hollow areas.

Different finishes demand different flatness. A large-format tile and a click-lock vinyl do not tolerate the same deviation, so the target is set by what is going down.

07Moisture testingIn-situ relative-humidity probe testing to ASTM F2170 before any moisture-sensitive floor is specified.

A slab can feel bone dry and still transmit enough vapour from below to fail a wood or wood-look floor within a year or two. Probes set into the slab and left to equilibrate give the real figure.

08Crack repair and levellingCracks stabilised by epoxy or polyurethane injection; low spots corrected with self-levelling underlayment.

A crack that is merely covered telegraphs through the new floor. Skipping levelling on an out-of-tolerance slab is one of the most common causes of hollow-sounding tile and separating vinyl seams.

09Handover or installationA prepared, tested, documented substrate — either to our own installation phase or to another contractor.

We are content to do this as a standalone scope. If someone else is laying the floor, they get a substrate with test results attached rather than assurances.

Illustrated SequenceSection 04 of 15

One room, floor to substrate and back.

Illustrative sequence · not photographs of an Elbaz project

Every image on this page is a generated illustration of the removal and subfloor-repair process described here. None of them is a photograph, and none shows a completed Elbaz Construction project. The sequence is drawn as one room so the stages read in order; the substrate frames are separate technical illustrations. The conditions, tests and standards they depict are real and are the work we carry out.

Illustration of a dated beige tile floor with cracked tiles in an empty South Florida room before removal begins — 01Illustration: the existing floor before work begins

Illustration of tile floor removal half complete, bare concrete slab exposed on one side with a worker using a floor scraper — 02Illustration: removal under way, old tile coming up

Illustration of a worker trowelling patching compound into a chased-out crack in a concrete slab — 03Illustration: crack repair worked into a chased-out crack

Illustration of self-levelling underlayment flowing across a primed slab and being worked with a gauge rake — 04Illustration: self-levelling compound finding its level

Sequence NotesSection 05 of 15

Why the order matters.

Test before you demolish

On any pre-1980s home with original vinyl tile still down, a sample is tested before grinding or aggressive scraping begins. Intact material is generally low-risk; disturbing it is what changes the picture. Testing first also means the programme and the price are set against what is actually there rather than against an assumption.

Remove without damaging

The objective is to take the covering off and leave the substrate as intact as possible. Over-aggressive removal gouges a slab and manufactures repair work that did not need to exist. Where a thick-set mortar bed is found, it is ground down rather than left, because a new floor sitting an inch high fails at every threshold in the house.

Measure, then correct

Flatness is checked against the tolerance the chosen floor actually requires, not a general one. Cracks are stabilised with epoxy or polyurethane injection so they do not telegraph through. Low spots are corrected with self-levelling underlayment. Skipping this is the most common reason new tile sounds hollow or vinyl seams separate in the first year.

Prove it is dry

A slab that feels dry can still transmit enough vapour from below to destroy a wood or wood-look floor. In-situ relative-humidity probes set at roughly 40% of slab depth and left to equilibrate give a reading from inside the concrete. That number decides whether a vapour barrier or mitigation coating is required before anything moisture-sensitive goes down.

Illustration of a concrete slab defect close up, showing a shrinkage crack and a straightedge bridging a low spot — 05Illustration: straightedge showing a low spot in the slab

Sequence shownExisting floor, removal, stripped slab, defects, repair, levelling, ready substrate, installation, completion

RoomOne conceptual South Florida interior, slab-on-grade

Substrate framesMortar bed, terrazzo, vinyl and mastic, moisture test

Standards referencedASTM F2170 in-situ relative-humidity testing

Repairs shownCrack injection and self-levelling underlayment

ImageryGenerated illustration — not photographs

Elbaz project?No. No frame on this page shows a completed Elbaz Construction project.

Why illustratedA coherent stage-by-stage sequence cannot be assembled honestly from unrelated job photographs

StandardsSection 06 of 15

A new floor almost never fails because of the floor. It fails because of what was under it.

Six things we hold to on removal and subfloor work.

01Durability

The substrate decides the lifespan

Flatness, moisture and crack stabilisation determine whether a floor lasts twenty years or fails in eighteen months. The finish material rarely does.

02Design

Tolerance set by the finish

Large-format tile, click-lock vinyl and engineered timber do not tolerate the same deviation. We prepare to the number the chosen product requires.

03Function

Height and thresholds planned

Removing or retaining a mortar bed changes finished floor height at every door and transition. That gets resolved on paper before demolition.

04Planning

Testing before scheduling

Asbestos and moisture testing happen before a programme is promised, because both can change it substantially.

05Craftsmanship

Remove without wrecking the slab

Careful removal leaves a substrate that needs less repair. Aggressive removal creates work that then has to be paid for.

06Quality control

Documented, not asserted

You get moisture readings and a flatness check, whether we lay the new floor or someone else does.

South Florida adds three constraints: slab-on-grade construction means vapour drive from below is a permanent condition rather than an occasional one; the mid-century housing stock puts asbestos-era vinyl and mastic in play on a large share of homes; and prior tile-over-tile work has left thick mortar beds in more houses than most owners expect.

Illustration of in-situ moisture testing on a bare concrete slab using a sealed test dome and a hand-held meter — 06Illustration: in-situ moisture testing on a bare slab

What Lies BeneathSection 07 of 15

The four conditions we actually find.

These are separate technical illustrations rather than part of the sequence above. Each shows one of the substrate conditions that changes the scope of a removal job.

Illustration of a room stripped to bare concrete slab with ridges of hardened thinset and a straightedge laid across it

Illustration: the slab fully stripped and swept

Illustration of a thick-set sand-cement mortar bed left on a slab after tile removal, with a grinder alongside

Illustration: a thick-set mortar bed left after tile removal

Illustration of original terrazzo revealed beneath an old floor covering, half cleaned and half still covered

Illustration: original terrazzo found beneath an old covering

Illustration of a cured, flat, uniform levelled substrate ready for new flooring

Illustration: the levelled substrate, cured and ready

Illustration of mid-century vinyl floor tile with black cutback adhesive beneath, one tile lifted and a sample bag alongside

Illustration: mid-century vinyl tile over black cutback adhesive

Illustration of luxury vinyl plank being laid over a prepared substrate, half the room complete — 12Illustration: new plank going down over the prepared slab

Sound slabClean, test, proceed

Mortar bedGrind down to recover the correct floor height

TerrazzoAssess for restoration before covering it again

Vinyl and masticTest before grinding on any pre-1980s home

Status of imageryGenerated illustration throughout — no frame here is a photograph

MethodsSection 08 of 15

What gets used, and when.

The six methods that make up almost every removal and repair scope.

Mechanical removal

Scrapers, chisels and floor strippers

Matched to how the existing floor was fixed. The aim is a clean lift that leaves the substrate intact.Gouging the slab creates repair work that was avoidable.

Grinding

Walk-behind grinder with dust extraction

Removes thick-set mortar beds and bonded adhesive residue to recover the correct finished floor height.Never used on suspect material before testing.

Asbestos testing

Sampling and laboratory analysis

On pre-1980s homes with original vinyl tile or black mastic. Intact material is generally low-risk; grinding or aggressive scraping is what releases fibres.Positive results mean licensed abatement, not a workaround.

Moisture testing

In-situ RH probes to ASTM F2170

Probes set at roughly 40% of slab depth and left to equilibrate, giving a reading from inside the slab rather than off its surface.Required before any moisture-sensitive floor is committed to.

Crack stabilisation

Epoxy or polyurethane injection

The crack is chased out, cleaned and injected so it does not move or telegraph through the new floor.Covering a live crack simply relocates the failure.

Levelling

Cement-based self-levelling underlayment

Poured over a primed slab to correct low spots and bring the surface within the flatness tolerance the new floor requires.Priming is not optional; it controls how the compound bonds and flows.

Provenance note: every image on this page is a generated illustration produced to explain the removal and subfloor-repair process, and the diagrams in section 11 are drawings we produced. No image here is a photograph, and none shows a building or a floor completed by Elbaz Construction. The conditions, standards and methods described in the text are accurate regardless.

ProcessSection 09 of 15

Nine stages, one contractor.

Consultation

What is down now, the age of the property, and what you intend to lay.

Site assessment

Existing floor identified, thresholds and finished heights recorded, suspect material noted.

Testing

Asbestos sampling where the age and material call for it; moisture testing where the new floor is sensitive to it.

Scope and sequencing

A written scope reflecting what testing actually found, including abatement where required.

Protection

Containment, dust extraction and protected routes set up.

Removal

Floor covering taken up with the method matched to how it was fixed.

Substrate preparation

Mortar bed ground down, adhesive residue removed, surface vacuumed.

Repair and levelling

Cracks injected and stabilised; self-levelling underlayment poured and cured.

Verification and handover

Flatness checked, moisture readings recorded, substrate handed over or installation begins.

PlanningSection 10 of 15

What needs approving, and what does not.

Permit position

Straight replacement of a floor covering is frequently not a permitted activity on its own. Where the work involves structural repair, abatement or associated plumbing or electrical, permits do apply. We confirm rather than assume.

Asbestos notification

Where testing returns positive, abatement is carried out by a licensed contractor under the applicable notification and disposal requirements.

Condo and HOA approval

Most buildings require plan submission, insurance certificates, work-hour restrictions and freight elevator scheduling for floor removal, largely because of noise and debris.

Sound transmission rules

Many South Florida condo buildings set minimum acoustic ratings for hard floor coverings above the ground level, which dictates the underlayment before the floor is chosen.

Moisture documentation

Flooring manufacturers commonly require in-situ RH results within a stated range as a condition of warranty. Those readings are recorded and handed over.

Threshold and height changes

Where finished floor height changes, door undercutting and transition details are resolved before installation rather than improvised at the end.

Structural findings

If removal exposes genuine structural damage rather than surface defects, the scope stops and an engineer is involved before it resumes.

Waste handling

Tile and mortar bed debris is heavy and voluminous; disposal is planned rather than discovered.

Closeout

Test results, flatness verification and product documentation handed over with the completed substrate.

Permit requirements differ across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach and between individual condo buildings, and they change. Whether your specific removal requires a permit depends on the associated scope. We will confirm what your address and building actually require rather than guessing.

What We FindSection 11 of 15

Four substrates, four different projects.

Drawings, not photographs. Pulling up an old floor in South Florida usually reveals one of these, and which one it is changes the entire scope.

Sound slab

Bare, flat, structurally sound concrete. The straightforward case: clean, test for moisture, and proceed.

Mortar bed

A thick sand-cement bed from a previous tile job, which has to be ground down before anything new can sit at the right height.

Terrazzo

Original mid-century terrazzo tiled over rather than removed. Sometimes worth restoring instead of covering again.

Vinyl and mastic

Mid-century vinyl tile over black cutback adhesive. On pre-1980s homes this is tested before anything is ground or scraped.

Cracks and dips

Shrinkage or settlement cracks and out-of-tolerance low spots, which are stabilised and levelled rather than covered.

DecisionsSection 12 of 15

What moves the number, and what moves the date.

Removal pricing varies more than almost any other trade, because what is under the floor is unknown until some of it comes up. These are the drivers.

What moves the number

What is being removed

Carpet lifts cheaply. A thick-set tile mortar bed is slow, heavy, dusty work and costs materially more.

Asbestos findings

A positive result brings licensed abatement into the scope, with its own cost and sequencing.

Area and access

Square footage, plus how far debris has to travel to a skip — upper-floor condo removal costs more than a ground floor with a driveway.

Substrate condition

The extent of cracking, spalling and how far out of flatness the slab actually is.

Levelling volume

Self-levelling compound is priced by depth as well as area; a badly out-of-tolerance slab uses a lot.

Moisture mitigation

Where testing requires a barrier or mitigation coating before a sensitive floor can go down.

Protection requirements

Occupied homes and condo buildings need containment, protected routes and scheduled debris removal.

Disposal

Tile and mortar debris is dense; disposal is a real line rather than a rounding error.

What moves the date

Test turnaround

Asbestos sampling and laboratory results before demolition can proceed on suspect material.

Abatement

Where required, carried out by a licensed contractor on its own schedule.

Moisture equilibration

In-situ RH probes need time in the slab before they read accurately.

Levelling cure

Self-levelling underlayment must cure before anything is laid over it.

Building access

Condo work hours and freight elevator scheduling.

What is found

An unexpected mortar bed or terrazzo changes the plan and the duration.

Bring to the first call

Roughly when the property was built.
What is down now, and whether you know what is under it.
What you intend to lay afterwards.
Whether it is a condo, and the building’s name.
Whether anyone will be living there during the work.
Any history of damp, cupping or lifting in the existing floor.

CompletionSection 13 of 15

A substrate you can lay on.

The end of the sequence: slab stripped, defects repaired, surface levelled and cured, moisture verified, new floor down. An illustration of the process rather than a photograph of a finished Elbaz project.

An assessment of what is likely under your existing floor.
Testing before any demolition on suspect material.
A written scope that reflects what testing actually found.
Moisture readings and a flatness check handed over at the end.

Illustration of a completed light oak-look plank floor in an empty room with new skirting fitted — 13Illustration: the completed floor

Questions, answered.

Asbestos, moisture testing, mortar beds, levelling, cost and permits.

How do I know if my old vinyl tile contains asbestos?

Age is the strongest clue — vinyl tile and the black mastic beneath it commonly contained asbestos from the 1950s through the 1970s. The only way to know is to test a sample, and we will not grind or aggressively demolish suspect material before that comes back.

Can I just rip the old floor up myself?

If the property predates roughly 1980 and has original vinyl tile or black mastic, we would strongly advise testing first. Intact material is generally low-risk, but sanding, grinding or aggressive scraping can release fibres. For anything else, DIY removal is not prohibited — it just frequently damages the substrate in ways that cost more to repair than the removal saved.

What will be under my tile once it comes up?

It varies. Sometimes bare sound slab. Often an old mortar bed from a previous tile job that has to be ground down. In older homes, occasionally original terrazzo that was covered rather than removed — which changes the whole plan, and is sometimes worth restoring instead.

How do you test whether a slab is too damp for a new floor?

In-situ relative-humidity probe testing to ASTM F2170. Probes are set into the slab at roughly 40% of its depth and left to equilibrate, so the reading comes from inside the concrete rather than off a surface that always feels dry.

Can a cracked slab be repaired, or does it need replacing?

Most cracks are stabilised with epoxy or polyurethane injection before anything new goes over them. Full slab replacement is rare and is reserved for genuine structural problems, not ordinary shrinkage or settlement cracking.

What is self-levelling underlayment and do I need it?

A pourable cement-based compound that flows to correct low spots and bring a slab within the flatness tolerance the new floor requires. You need it if the slab is out of that tolerance — skipping it is one of the most common causes of hollow-sounding tile and separating vinyl seams.

What does removal cost on its own?

It depends almost entirely on what is being removed. Carpet is inexpensive. A thick-set tile mortar bed or asbestos-era vinyl and mastic costs meaningfully more because of the labour, equipment and, where applicable, testing and abatement.

Do you lay the new floor as well?

We can, and we are equally happy to hand over a prepared, tested and documented substrate for another contractor to work on. The test results and flatness check go with it either way.

How much dust does this create?

A great deal, particularly with tile and mortar bed removal. Containment and dust extraction are part of the scope, and in occupied homes and condos we work with protected routes and scheduled debris removal.

Why are the images on this page illustrations rather than photographs?

Because a stage-by-stage sequence — existing floor, removal, exposed slab, repair, levelling, completion — cannot be assembled honestly from photographs of unrelated jobs. Rather than present ten different houses as one project, these stages are drawn as one room and clearly labelled as illustrations.

Why Elbaz.

Licensed general contractor

Certified building contractor, licence CBC1265280, bonded and insured.

Testing before demolition

Asbestos and moisture testing happen before the programme is set, not after something has already been ground.

Documented substrate

You receive moisture readings and a flatness check, whether or not we lay the new floor.

Standalone scope

We are content to prepare a substrate and hand it to another installer, with the results attached.

Local experience

The mid-century Miami-Dade and Broward housing stock, where mortar beds, terrazzo and asbestos-era vinyl are routine finds.

Dust and access control

Containment, extraction and scheduled debris removal in occupied homes and condo buildings.

Communication

If what comes up changes the plan, you hear it that day, with the options and what each costs.

Financing

Financing options available through our partners.

Proof & ReadingSection 14 of 15

What South Florida homeowners say.

Reproduced verbatim from our Google Business Profile. Nothing here has been edited, merged or rewritten.

Redid my whole bathroom and kitchen. Great service - Great quality - very quick - very professional !! Highly recommended!

Adir DavidovGoogle review

They are amazing! Very professional. Met my exact requests with so much patience and knowledge. They renovated my whole house and the whole process was such a breeze. I highly recommend them!

Lee MoraliGoogle review

We hired them to renovate our investment property and they provided exceptional quality service for an affordable price!

Shir PartushGoogle review

Amazing experience with the entire company! They did a great job in my house for some work that needed to be completed, and I am extremely happy with the result. Super professional & great service. I highly recommend Elbaz Construction.

Mia ZafraniGoogle review

After I've been Looking for a good company to renovate my house , I found those guys! These people are super professional super honest super Fast !! Don't hesitate to Rent their service! They are number one!!

carmit cohenGoogle review

I highly recommend them for home improvement. They renovated my master bathroom and a few upgrades for other guest bathrooms. They are very professional, courteous and transparent. They are great at communicating and finding ways to streamline the work. Sean has impeccable project management and customer relationship management skills. Very pleased with the work!

Omri BGoogle review