How to Prep Your DFW Home for Tile Removal Day

Tile removal day goes smoother when the house is ready before the crew arrives. Most of the prep takes an evening or two, and it protects your belongings, speeds up the job, and keeps dust control working the way it should. Here's what DFW homeowners should do before demo starts.

Clear everything out of the work zone

The floor has to be empty before we can remove it. That means furniture, rugs, boxes, pet bowls, floor lamps, and anything leaning against the walls. For a kitchen, pull dishes and small appliances out of lower cabinets. For a bathroom, clear the vanity, linen closet, and shower caddy areas. If you're removing tile in a laundry room or mudroom, move the washer, dryer, and any storage racks.

You don't need to empty upper cabinets unless the crew will be working directly below them. Vibration from chipping can rattle dishes, so remove fragile glassware from cabinets that share a wall with the work area.

Remove wall hangings and fragile items nearby

Chipping tile sends vibration through the slab and walls. Take down pictures, mirrors, shelves, and anything else that could shake loose. Pack away collectibles, vases, and electronics from adjacent rooms too — especially if they sit on shared walls.

Plan around appliances, islands, and built-ins

In most DFW kitchens, tile runs under freestanding appliances and islands. We can remove tile around and under those, but the appliances need to be disconnected and moved first. We do not disconnect gas, water, or electrical lines — your plumber or appliance tech needs to handle that. If you want tile removed under cabinets or an island, your cabinet installer should pull them before demo day.

Give the crew access and parking

Dustless equipment is heavy: HEPA vacuums, compressors, grinders, and containment gear all have to come inside. Clear a path from the truck to the work area, and keep a parking spot open as close to the entry as possible. If you live in a gated DFW community or apartment, give us the gate code or leave the gate open before we arrive.

HVAC, vents, and windows

Close the vents in the work zone if your HVAC system is running. This keeps any stray particles from circulating through the ductwork. Open windows near the work area only if the crew asks — containment works best when airflow is controlled. If you have a smart thermostat, turn off the fan so it doesn't cycle during demo.

Pets, kids, and the daily routine

Decide where kids and pets will be during work hours. Small jobs may be fine with a closed door and white noise. Larger jobs are easier on everyone if kids and pets are out of the house. If you work from home, plan to take calls in a room far from the chipping or consider working elsewhere for the day.

Tell us what we need to know

The best prep includes a quick heads-up. Let us know if:

• The home was built before 1985 or has original vinyl, 9x9 tile, or cutback mastic.
• The slab is post-tensioned.
• There's a crawl space, pier-and-beam, or sunken room below the work area.
• Anyone in the home has asthma, allergies, is pregnant, or is immunocompromised.
• You need us to coordinate with a flooring installer or GC on the same day.

What to expect when we arrive

We'll walk the job, confirm the scope, and set up containment before the first tile comes up. That usually means plastic sheeting or zip-wall barriers at doorways, HEPA vacuums connected to the tools, and sometimes a negative air machine. Once demo starts, the loudest phase is the chipping. Grinding is quieter but takes longer. We'll do a final cleanup and walkthrough before we leave.

Bottom line

Prepping for tile removal is mostly common sense, but the details matter. Empty the room, protect the things around it, give us clear access, and communicate any health or structural concerns up front. A little prep turns a loud, dusty job into a clean, controlled handoff.