Dust Free Tile Removal Demolition FAQ’s Including Cost

The Basics For Tile Removal Cost (aka Tile Demolition Cost)

When you are looking for tile removal costs (aka tile demolition costs), remember price is not everything. You might pay only $1.00-$2.00 less per square foot by going with an illegal, unlicensed, and uninsured contractor, but what happens when have to spend $1,000 cleaning out your home, $400 cleaning your air ducts and maybe thousands of dollars repairing your floor before installers can even start their job, it’s not worth the initial savings.

Considering that Arizona Home Floors can remove over 1,000 square feet of most types of tile dust free, why would you want to have another company come in and take several days to a week to do the job the traditional dusty way? If you don’t mind nearly a pound of dust per square foot of toxic, lung cancer-causing silica dust filling your home, then dust-free tile removal might not be for you and you can skip reading this page about what to ask your contractor.

Here are a few questions to ask flooring removal companies and also some things you should keep in mind before you or someone you know starts calling around getting quotes for tile or flooring removal. Some of these are mainly for our Arizona customers but also something homeowners and contractors out of state should find out:

1. Is the contractor or company you are looking to hire for flooring removal dust free, and if so, what are they using?
2. If they are not dust free, do they use a misleading term called virtually dust free, or do they simply do tile & flooring removal the old-fashioned way with a ride on machine or chipping hammers?
3. How do they control the dust? There are two ways: Either capture the dust BEFORE it goes into the air or do they hang up plastic to try and control dust (click HERE to see why hanging plastic is useless) and be sure to read the rest of the FAQs. A company that is dust free will not hang up plastic to prevent dust from getting into areas, it does NOT work because plastic ATTRACTS dust.
4. How do they transport the debris from the floor to a bucket or tote without making dust?
5. What method of tile removal do they use? Do they use water to try and keep the dust down?
6. Do they have vacuums attached to all of the equipment?
7. Do they have videos showing how they remove tile and grind the floors to get them ready for new flooring? We have a lot of videos, CLICK HERE TO SEE.
8. Do they use a ride-on floor stripping machine? See why this is a BAD IDEA in residential homes. If a company has this, avoid unless you don’t mind possibly spending thousands of dollars in potential cleaning and floor repair costs. See the video link above to learn more.
9. Are either the contractor or the company licensed, bonded, and insured? (In the state of Arizona, an unlicensed contractor cannot do any project over $1,000 per Arizona Revised Statutes, Title 32, Chapter 10, but most contractors will break the law and do the jobs anyways since homeowners are not aware. If they quote you over $1,000 and they are not licensed, call the registrar of contractors and report them to their investigations department.
10. Has their license ever been revoked or suspended and if so, why? They have to tell you, or you can call the registrar of contractors, but then again, if they won’t tell you, just call another company and don’t waste your time. If their license is revoked, they can’t do ANY WORK under that business name. You will be surprised as contractors with suspended or revoked licenses will still use their old number on contractors illegally.
11. Did you know that some businesses have their licenses revoked and simply change their business name creating a new entity? You can call the local registrar of contractors office and ask about a company and their entity name.
12. If they are not licensed, inquire as to why. Please note: Anyone claiming that they are or were “Piggybacking” off another contractor’s license is illegal in Arizona and most states, and if a contractor is not licensed find out the real reason. If they dodge the question, it might be because they lack the credentials to become licensed, their credit is bad, they cannot obtain a bond or they feel they are above the requirements of the law.
13. Regarding insurance: Did you know if you as the homeowner or contractor hire an uninsured contractor, and they or someone on their crew is injured (example: falls, breaks wrist) at your home, you are considered the employer and are therefore responsible for paying medical costs. You could also be sued.
14. What condition are the floors left after the thinset is removed? If a ride-on machine is used, make sure you see videos of what the floors look like at the end, fancy pictures are not enough.
15. Does the company have a large selection of videos showing different types of tile removal including complex removal such as flagstone or do they only show basic standard ceramic? A common practice to deceive the public is to show tiles coming up in whole pieces, which is unlikely to happen, but contractors show this so you think that this is easy work, it’s not.
16. Does the company have any customer testimonials on video or just written reviews (which can be paid for) because the true sign of a good company is what are the customers saying?

Dust Free Tile Removal Services to be Looked at from a Common-Sense Perspective.

For many considering the remodel of their house or business, this will be the first time to experience what flooring removal such as tile, wood, sheet vinyl, adhesive and other types of flooring will be like. Those of you who have removed the flooring in the past realize it often is not as simple as it may sound. Even worse, the internet is filled with videos from those who claim they have found the “easy, simple” solution to flooring removal. The problem with this idea is they have oversimplified a task that at times can be very technically difficult. Granted some removal projects do exist, which are not bonded well and these tend to be the types shown in “how-to” videos. The fact is very few projects like this exist in real life, and those that do will still have a subfloor with poor bonding issues for your future flooring installation. Scraping floors to try and remove bond-breaking contaminants does not work and using chemicals to do this is dangerous. The very best way to remove contaminants such as paint, black adhesive, glazed and polished concrete finishes, wood adhesives, sheet vinyl glue, and other coatings is with a mechanical grinding of the surfaces.

We have many who contact us for dust free tile removal who believe there is a single piece of equipment, which breaks up the tile and “eats it” as it goes, leaving a clean floor behind. This is not true, as it takes a system of equipment to remove the tile, manipulate the debris, and grind off the thinset. While some tiny pieces of debris, grit, and sand will make its way into the vacuums while breaking the tile in pieces, the majority of the larger debris is left loose on the floor until it is ready to be picked up manually by hand. We call this controlled demolition, and the DustRam® System Equipment we have (7 patents now and counting!) is very effective at capturing the dust as it is created, but common sense is required to realize that heavier grit and sand is generated from the removal process. A very small amount of the grit and sand (about the size of a grain of sand or pepper flakes, which do not cause any damage) does fall onto the horizontal surfaces such as countertops, window ledges, and other similar places, depending on the location of where the flooring is being removed. For this reason, we ask our Customers to completely remove items from their countertops and other horizontal surfaces in the areas we will be working to allow us to clean the grit and sand easily. At different stages of the removal process, we will wipe off the grit or sand with a soft, damp microfiber towel to remove them without causing any damage to your surfaces. We will also be on the lookout for pre-existing dust or lint you may have in the areas we will be working in. We typically try to wipe off the tops of refrigerators, freezers, ceiling fans (if they are low enough to reach), tops of door frames, shutters, or other items to ensure we leave your home or business cleaner than we started. So if you see us wiping down surfaces it is because we are either removing sand or grit from those surfaces or we are trying to clean parts of your home that might have pre-existing dust.

There are a couple of occasions when an extremely tiny amount of dust may be created when the flooring is loosely bonded or if there is a soft concrete subfloor, which has been overwatered during the pouring phase when building the house. Flooring such as tile or stone, which is loosely bonded will begin to vibrate several feet away from where the chipping hammer is located and the grout in the joints will start rubbing the tile and produce a tiny amount of dust. The amount of dust produced when dealing with loose tile or soft concrete and using the DustRam® System equipment is so minimal it is often never even noticed during the removal process. However, since we can not control if loosely bonded tile exists or if there is a pre-existing condition of soft concrete, our contract does state there remains a slight possibility of dust. We do promise though this dust will be cleaned before the final job is through and your home will be cleaner once we have completed the final cleanup. To put this in another perspective, any dust that may have been created would not fill up even a tiny thimble.

When we set up equipment at your home we will typically need to bring the equipment into your home from the front door. Some of this equipment may end up outside on your back patio, some might be in your garage, and some might be located near the front door of your house. We often work simultaneously in up to 6 different areas and it is because of this we are able to complete up to 1600 sq. ft. in one day. This is also why we can not work with furniture on the floors located in the areas for removal. Moving furniture from side to side drastically cuts down on our removal rate, and so, for this reason, we have our Customers already have the furniture moved from those areas prior to our arrival by placing these in the garage, a POD, bedrooms, or other areas not having the flooring removed. Using this strategy also reduces the chances of damage to furniture and other items because they are not being moved repeatedly over and over during the removal process or installation. The overall project is also completed much faster because the Customer is not playing the “furniture shuffle game” and often can shave days off the project, so the Customer can have their items moved back in a much shorter amount of time.

We also would need adequate space in which to park our large truck(s) and trailer(s) in front of your home or business. We normally do not and can not park in a driveway because of the size of our vehicles.  This is why we ask our Customers to have their vehicles moved from the driveway before we arrive so we do not block them in.  Customers should either park across the street or park far enough away to allow our vehicles to easily and properly pull in front of their home or business.

Why We Require ”Minimal” Footage Amounts to be Supplied by a Flooring Store, Designer, Installer, Contractor, or Homeowner?

Below is Our Business Model, Written Into Our Demolition Contract.

(1) ARIZONA HOME FLOORS, LLC BUSINESS MODEL – PLEASE READ!

We are making every attempt to be transparent and do not want you to have any surprises during your project.  Thank you for your understanding!

(1a)  Arizona Home Floors, LLC: the SELLER (may also be referred to as “Company,” “Us,” “Our,” or “We”) has a specific type of business model it follows, which any potential Owner/Entity/Agent/Designer/Flooring Store/Contractor/Installer: the BUYER (may also be referred to as “Their,” “They,” “Your,” ”You,” or other such terms) should be made aware.

(1b)  We cannot enter a contract with any Buyer or any entity unless they are a legal owner of the dwelling or business; or subcontracted through a Licensed, Bonded, and Fully Insured Contractor/Designer.  If we agree to a subcontracted project(s) through a licensed, bonded, and insured Contractor/Designer, then the following guidelines will apply: (1) We require an initialed/signed DustRam NDA by the Owner, CEO, President, or Principal of the company (please visit https://www.dustram.com/nda/ to complete this digitally).  (2)  The first two projects with a new Contractor/Designer will require payment of the initial Contract amount in full at the time of scheduling their project to reserve their date(s).  (3)  The Contractor/Designer or their agent must be available for final inspection of the premises at the time of completion, and to sign a BUYER ACCEPTANCE OF PROJECT COMPLETION form.  (4)  At the final inspection, provide a final payment with a check or cash for any remaining balances for any additional work required during the project; final payments made with a credit card will be subject to a 5% convenience fee (see Section 15 for full details concerning payments).  (5)  After completing two projects in this manner, then future projects will be contracted at 50% down, with any remaining balances paid within ten days.

(1c)  Since 2008, Arizona Home Floors, LLC, and DustRam, LLC, is in the process of developing the dust-free tile demolition market and securing the patents for its Equipment.  These new developments have led to significant changes in the services Arizona Home Floors, LLC, once provided.  We no longer sell flooring, install flooring, or prep subfloors.  The scope of our services is limited strictly to the demolition of various types of flooring and profiling using the DustRam® System.  We require Flooring Stores, Designers, Contractors, and Installers to provide the necessary minimum amounts of flooring demolished without Arizona Home Floors, LLC going first to the project address to measure.  You will either need to provide your initial measurements, be working with a professional who can supply us with this information, or hire us to estimate your project if we have available time to do so.

(1d)  As of Monday, January 7, 2019, estimates are on a case by case basis.  We cannot measure every flooring demolition project, and in most cases, an estimate is not necessary if the project is relatively standard.  We write up 99% of demolition projects with minimum square footage for demolition based on measurements provided by a homeowner, the homeowner’s contractor, or a number that is in the range of both.  With the advent of the internet and websites like Zillow and Redfin, photos are available online for most homes, and if not, pictures can be emailed or texted for our free phone consultation.

(1e)  IF we are able and have time in our schedule, we can provide an accurate onsite measurement (top layer visible measurements only) with a non-refundable $500.00 consultation fee paid in advance by credit card.  The full amount of this fee will be applied directly to the Buyer’s project should they decide to hire us at some later point.  Most onsite consultations usually take a minimum of 3 or more hours, assuming 1 1/2 hours or more of drive time and 1 1/2 hours or more for the consultation.  Furthermore, an onsite measurement does have its limitations and will only reveal basic information about the Buyer’s project on what is visible to the naked eye.  However, it will not show hidden issues that can and do affect future LEGITIMATE unknown charges.  Unknown extra charges such as crack membrane removal; hidden layers of sheet vinyl, tile, backerboard, black adhesive; baseboard, cabinet, or trim on top of the flooring; including other such items are not able to be determined until after the Buyer has officially hired us to perform their project, and work is in FULL progress.  Again, even with physical measurements taken by us at an onsite consultation, once the project has started, there are still LEGITIMATE unknowns that might increase the overall cost of the completed project paid by the Buyer.

(1f)  Since many projects are usually time-sensitive by nature and to avoid lengthy delays, we gather information from the Buyer about their project to arrive at “minimum” amounts of flooring or other materials to be demolished, on which to base the first Estimate and Contract.  These estimated amounts provided by the Buyer become the “minimum” amounts written into the first Estimate and Contract.  An Estimate and Contract will be provided to the Buyer for their signed and initialed approval to hire us officially.

(1g)  Since nearly every project is prone to hidden, or unknown extra charges, gathering all the pieces of information CANNOT take place until you officially hire us, and the work is in FULL progress.  Attention Buyer:  We charge flooring and material demolition on a “per layer basis.”  When other layers, materials, or other factors become revealed, they will be added to the existing Estimate to complete its accuracy.  For us to arrive at truly accurate measurements, areas for demolition or profiling are sectioned into smaller squares/rectangles to eliminate walls, cabinets, showers, tubs, or other areas not representative of the actual square footage demolished or profiled.  Depending on the size of your project, it may take 2-5 hours for us to receive the correct measurements from our head technician.  Using an electronic measuring device or standard tape measure, we round any measurements exceeding increments of an inch up to the next full inch.  FOR EXAMPLE:  A measurement such as 5′ 4 1/4″ x 7′ 6 1/2″ would be rounded to the next full inch and would be used as 5′ 5″ x 7’7″ to figure the square footage.  Again, depending on the size of the project, it may take several more hours or possibly days to discover any hidden crack isolation membrane, subfloors, sheet vinyl, black adhesive, or any other additional costs initially hidden from view at the start of the project.

(1h)  Please note the “minimum” amounts will not be decreased but increased should the actual measurements prove to be higher than the minimums established.  On the day of the project, and after work is in full progress, our head technician will collect exact measurements and send them to our administrative staff for accurate calculations.  Measurements that fell below the “minimum” amounts would remain at those amounts listed on the original signed and initialed Estimate and Contract, and we add any measurements above the “minimum” amount to become a newly revised Estimate.  The Buyer must provide a realistic upfront estimate of square footage.  Inaccurate, dishonest, or misleading information, whether on purpose or by accident, provided by the Buyer could result in much higher than expected costs at the end of the project, and the Buyer agrees to be financially responsible for those additional costs if there should be any.  The Buyer must be forthright, accurate, and honest when establishing the minimum square footage amount(s) to help prevent drastic increases in the footage or other amounts once the project has begun and exact measurements were taken.

(1i)  To sum up, we are not responsible for inaccurate measurements or estimates of square footage provided by the Buyer to establish minimum footage(s).  The Buyer is aware that depending on the severity of misinformation on their part, the footage(s) can increase significantly and drastically impact the cost.  The Buyer understands that Arizona Home Floors, LLC if hired, is to remove the flooring according to the designated areas listed on the Contract, even if the estimated footage(s) provided by the Buyer proves to be drastically inaccurate.  This inaccuracy on the part of the Buyer can result in significantly increased costs, which the Buyer agrees to pay.

(1j)  Once again:  The Buyer agrees to pay additional legitimate expenses, including those incurred as a result of drastically increased footages due to accidental or intentional misinformation provided by the Buyer.  The Buyer agrees it IS NOT an option to have us arrive at the home or business with the equipment and crew ready to start work but first wait to take measurements of the areas before the Buyer decides on whether or not to move forward with their project.

Contact us today if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. If you would like more information about our dust free tile removal services, get in touch with our team. We offer free quotes.