Miami, FL › Removal & Prep
Tile removal and floor preparation in Miami
This is the unglamorous half of the job, and it is the half that decides whether the new floor lasts.
- Same-day and next-day appointments
- Most major insurance accepted
- Exam first, written plan, no open-ended treatment
- Se habla español
Tell us about your floor
Takes about 60 seconds. Free measure and quote, no obligation.
Every quote you receive contains a decision about preparation, whether or not it is written down. The cheap quote has usually decided to skip it. Since nobody can see preparation once the new floor is down, it is the easiest place in the whole trade to save money at the customer's expense, and the consequences arrive a year or two later when the installer is long gone.
In Miami the preparation stakes are higher than most markets. Slabs sit near sea level with moisture moving up through them, older slabs are frequently out of flatness tolerance, and decades of previous floors have often left layers of adhesive that the next installation is expected to bond to.
What preparation covers
- Demolition of the existing floor with dust control rather than open grinding
- Complete removal of old thinset, adhesive and cutback mastic
- Slab moisture testing to a recognised method before bonding anything
- Flatness measured across the whole floor with a straightedge
- Self-levelling compound where flatness is out of tolerance
- Assessment of existing cracks and whether they are still moving
- Full haul-away and disposal, which is heavy and priced accordingly
How preparation is done
Removal first, with dust taken seriously. Tile demolition produces enormous quantities of silica dust, which is a genuine health hazard rather than a nuisance. Proper work means vacuum-shrouded tools, sealed openings and negative air where appropriate. If someone plans to dry-grind your slab with no extraction while you live there, that is a real problem.
Then the slab itself. Old adhesive removed completely, because new material bonds to the slab rather than to the residue of the last three floors. Moisture tested by a recognised method, not by taping a bag down overnight and guessing. Cracks assessed for whether they are dormant or still moving, since a moving crack needs an isolation membrane or it will telegraph straight through the new tile.
Levelling last. Self-levelling compound poured over a primed slab brings the surface within tolerance for the tile being installed. On large format this is essentially always required in older Miami housing. It adds a day and it is the difference between a floor that looks right and one that never quite does.
Common questions
Removal & Prep questions
Why is removal so expensive?
Because it is demolition. It is loud, dusty, physically brutal, generates a great deal of very heavy debris, and disposal is charged by weight. Removing a tile floor bonded directly to concrete is one of the hardest jobs in residential construction, and a quote that treats it as a rounding error has not thought about it.
What is the dust actually a risk?
Cutting and grinding tile and concrete releases crystalline silica, which is a recognised respiratory hazard with federal exposure limits attached to it. Proper dust control protects the crew first and your household second. It is a reasonable thing to ask about before hiring anyone.
Do I have to leave the house during removal?
Not usually, but it depends on scope and layout. Work areas get sealed off and access routes protected. For a whole-house removal, many people prefer to be elsewhere for the demolition days, and pets almost always should be.
What is self-levelling compound?
A cementitious material poured over a primed slab that flows out to a flat plane and cures hard. It corrects dips and waves that would otherwise show as lippage or hollow spots under the tile. It is not a structural repair and it will not fix a moving crack, but for flatness it is the standard solution.
Also treated
Other care offered in Miami
Tile Installation
Porcelain and ceramic floors over properly tested and prepared slabs.
Large Format
24x48 and oversized porcelain, installed flat enough to actually look right.
Bathrooms
Showers and bathrooms built on real waterproofing, not just grout.
Marble & Stone
Marble, travertine and limestone install, sealing and restoration.
Terrazzo
Grinding, polishing and repair of original mid-century terrazzo.
Condo Flooring
Association-compliant floors with the sound ratings documented.
Service area