Vinyl Plank (LVP) Installation
Luxury vinyl plank installed from tear-out to the last row: removal, slab prep, planks supplied and laid.
Before the new floor
Floor Removal & Subfloor Preparation in Orlando, FL
The crew that removes your old floor installs the new one.
KPC Flooring removes old floors and prepares the subfloor in Orlando and nearby cities, as the first stage of a new floor installation.
- Tile, carpet, wood, vinyl
- Residue scraped off
- Self-leveling
Why removal and installation belong to one crew
Hire a demolition outfit and then a separate installer, and there's a gap in the middle of the job: who answers for the slab being flat and clean? With us, nobody hands the floor to anyone else. The people chipping out your old floor will be installing on that surface, so the prep is done to the standard the installation needs.
Removal and prep are part of our installation jobs. If you only need a floor taken out, call and describe it.
Tile removal
Ceramic is usually the hardest floor to take out. Tiles are broken loose, then the thinset mortar left behind is scraped and chipped down so the slab can be leveled. It's loud, it makes dust, and on most jobs it's what sets the pace of the first days.
Carpet, wood and vinyl tear-out
Every old floor leaves something different behind, and that residue is what has to be dealt with before anything new goes down.
- Carpet: carpet, pad, tack strips and staples pulled, with the nails that held the strips
- Wood: boards and fasteners removed; dried adhesive dealt with on glued floors
- Vinyl and older floating floors: planks or sheets lifted, glue residue scraped
What's usually hiding under the old floor
Pulling up the top layer is only half of removal. Under carpet there are tack strip nails around the perimeter, pad staples and paint drips along the walls. Under ceramic, ridges of thinset stay stuck to the concrete after the tiles pop loose. Under glued vinyl or wood, there's hardened adhesive that keeps a new floor from lying flat.
That residue is scraped, chipped or ground back until the slab can be judged for flatness. Skip it, and new floors can develop bumps and gaps over time.
Leveling and self-leveling
Floating floors and glue-down planks need a flat base. Once the old floor is out, we look for humps, hollows and leftover mortar ridges. Small areas are patched and feathered by hand. Where a larger part of the room is uneven, we pour self-leveling compound, a mix that flows out and settles flat.
Self-leveler has to dry before anything goes on it. On our jobs that means waiting about a day before installation starts, time that's in your schedule from the beginning.
- Scrape and clean the slab
- Mark humps and hollows with a straightedge
- Feather small areas by hand, pour over larger ones
- Let it cure, then install
Moisture and the concrete slab
Most Central Florida homes are built on a concrete slab, and slabs can carry moisture up from the ground. A floor installed over a damp slab can cup, release or grow mildew underneath. With the old floor out, the slab is exposed, and that's the moment to look for dark stains, white powdery efflorescence, old adhesive that let go, or other signs of a moisture issue.
When those signs are there, we tell you, and the choice of underlayment, adhesive or flooring takes them into account.
Getting the house ready for removal days
Breaking out ceramic sends vibration through the house, and fine dust travels further than people expect. Some preparation on your side makes those days easier:
- Take fragile items off shelves and walls in nearby rooms
- Keep pets and children well away from the work area
- Move valuables and electronics out of the rooms being stripped
- Ask us whether to switch the AC off while the dustiest work happens, so the return vents don't pull dust through the house
- Leave the driveway clear for unloading
How removal affects your schedule
Removal and prep often take as long as the installation itself. Carpet comes up quickly; ceramic doesn't. A job that includes breaking out ceramic before installing the new floor usually needs at least three days in total, and heavier prep, like a self-leveling pour, means another day for the compound to cure.
Firm, flat ceramic can often stay; see vinyl plank over tile.
Removal and prep on our jobs
Floors being taken out and subfloors being prepared before installation.
Project Videos
Floor removal and subfloor questions
Do you do floor removal by itself?
Removal is part of our installation jobs: we take out the old floor, prepare the subfloor and install the new one. If you only need a floor removed, call (407) 427-8271 and describe it.
How long does tile removal take?
It depends on the area and how stubbornly the tile holds. As an example, a job that combines breaking out ceramic with a new installation usually takes at least three days, plus a day when heavy leveling is needed.
Is tile removal dusty?
Breaking out ceramic creates dust and noise; there's no way around it. We'll talk with you about which rooms are affected and how to get them ready before demolition day.
What happens to the old flooring?
How the torn-out material and debris will be handled is covered during a free in-home estimate, so it's clear before the job starts.
How long does self-leveling take to dry?
On our jobs, about a day before the new floor can go on top. Thicker pours or cool, damp conditions can stretch that, and the manufacturer's instructions for the compound have the final say.
What if the subfloor is damaged under the old floor?
The real condition of the subfloor often appears only once the old floor is out. If something needs attention, we show you and explain the options before going further.
How do you deal with moisture in the slab?
We look for signs of moisture once the slab is exposed. If they're there, the underlayment, adhesive or even the choice of flooring has to account for them, and we explain that before installing.
Do I need to empty the rooms?
Furniture and anything on the floor have to be out of the work area. Who handles that is agreed on the phone or at the visit, before the work date.
Do you fix water-damaged floors?
We do repairs for homeowners, including floors damaged by water, but they aren't our main line of work. Call (407) 427-8271, tell us what happened and what kind of floor it is, and we'll tell you whether it's a repair or a replacement.
Have a question that is not answered here? Call and ask — se habla español.
Call (407) 427-8271Plan the tear-out and the new floor in one call
Call (407) 427-8271 and tell us what's on the floor now. Removal, prep and installation are planned together.