Monday, April 20, 2015

Tile Removal 101:

   Traditional Methods Vs  Dust Free Tile Removal

 Traditional methods of tile removal involves chisels, hammers and grinders. Sometimes a worker uses hand tools and sometimes they use power tools. These tools excel at popping/chopping tile loose from the thin-set mud that is used during installation to hold the tiles in place. When the mud is dried the tiles are basically concreted in place. The process of removal becomes a balance of brute force to chisel the tile up, to controlled calculated blows that won't damage the sub-floor below. After the tile is all chipped away and removed the floor is then ground smooth and re-leveled.
   While the mechanics of the removal are pretty straight forward, most Homeowners don't realize that the thin-set mud is transformed into a very, very fine powder. The other thing that most people don't realize is the massive quantity of this dust that is produced. For example a 15' x 15' room is 225 square feet of flooring area. In a room this size the thin-set that has to be removed in order for your sub-floor to be ready for new flooring would weigh approx 225 lbs. Approximately one pound of dust per square foot of flooring.




What is so bad about 225 lbs of very fine dust? The most obvious answer is that there isn't an effective way to contain it once it is airborne. If you talk to folks that have lived in a home and have had their tile removed with traditional methods of removal the story is almost always the same.

The story starts off like this...
"I thought that when they put up the plastic and the tape that this would stop the mess in my home. We have dust in our clothes, dust in out closets, dust on our dishes, dust in our furniture, dust inside our TV and electronics and dust in our AC vents!"

The sad fact is that most Homeowners never factored in the amount of cleaning that is be required after the removal. Even after the the cleaning, dust keeps reappearing on every surface of the home for months. Electronic devices mysteriously malfunction months later. The facts are pretty simple. Thin-set dust contains contains “silica,” a dangerous carcinogenic material which causes silicosis of the lungs, and takes a toll on those who suffer from allergies, asthma or other health conditions. Thin-set dust is so fine that it gets inside your electronic devices and can cause them to malfunction. Thin-set dust can infiltrate your AC system and require you to have your ducts cleaned. Last but not least, the cleanup is always more than you ever thought possible.

Dustless Tile Removal is a specialized process that involves state of the art tools designed specifically for the application of tile removal. This process revolutionizes tile removable and is simply remarkable.

How does is work?
The heart of this removal system is powerful industrial Hepa-filtered dust collection vacuums. Chipping hammers, grinders and even waste collection bins are tooled with incredibly powerful vacuum ports that keep finest dust particles from entering the air and escaping into and settling in your home.

The results:
•Healthier tile removal - Toxic materials that can affect your health never become airborne in the first place.
•Clean tile removal - Hundreds of pounds of fine toxic dust (approx.  1 LBS. per square foot of flooring area) never infiltrate every nook and cranny of your home.
•Fast tile removal - Cutting edge tools designed specifically for tile removal skip a massive cleanup process by never creating the mess in the first place.

Information provided by:
Floor Busters of Central Florida, LLC - A Central Florida dust free tile removal provider.