Tile Removal and Vinyl Plank Replacement, Grout Lines Gone
Cracked, cold, dated tile comes up. Waterproof vinyl plank goes down. Licensed, insured pros handle both jobs, from Tampa Bay to Orlando.
About $5 to $12 per square foot installed, before your discount. Tile removal is part of the estimate you get after a free measurement.
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Replacing tile. Four more quick questions.
How many rooms?
Florida houses are full of tile. A lot of owners are done with it.
Builders here put ceramic and porcelain on the slab in most rooms for decades. It was cheap to lay and easy to mop. Twenty years later, the complaints we hear at measurements are almost always the same.
- The grout never comes clean. It darkens, cracks and pulls away at the edges. Sealing it every year stops being worth the weekend.
- It’s hard on the body. Standing at the counter or walking the hallway barefoot on tile over concrete wears on knees, hips and feet.
- Anything dropped breaks.
- It looks its age. Twelve-inch beige squares and diagonal patterns date a house the moment a buyer walks in.
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$1,200 Off + 5% Senior & Military Savings. Seniors 60+ and active or retired military get an additional 5%. The 50% applies to installation labor.
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Tear It Out or Go Over It
Sometimes new plank can go right over old tile. Often the tile has to come up first. Here’s how the installer decides.
Planks over tile
Only when the tile is flat, solid and well bonded. Wide grout lines get filled first so they don’t show through.
Tile removed first
Cracked, loose or uneven tile comes up with the thinset under it, down to the slab. The new floor sits lower and flatter.
Room by room
Some jobs do both. Solid tile in one area stays under the plank, and damaged tile in another comes out.
Going over tile adds height. Doors may need trimming, and transitions to other floors get taller. Read: Vinyl plank over tile or tear it out: what each costs
From Old Tile to New Plank
What happens after you say yes.
Check the tile
At the measurement, the installer taps for hollow spots, looks for cracks and checks how flat the floor is. That decides whether the tile stays or goes.
Clear the rooms
Furniture comes out of the work area, and baseboards come off so the new floor can run to the wall.
Break it up
Tile and the thinset under it are chipped off the slab. It’s loud work. Pets and anyone napping should be somewhere else that day.
Grind and fill
Leftover ridges of thinset are taken down, and low spots are filled so the slab is ready for plank.
Plank and trim
The new floor goes down, transitions go in at doorways, and baseboards go back on.
Pulling tile adds time compared with carpet. The installer will tell you how long your job runs before anything starts. Next-day installation is available.
What Tile Removal and Replacement Costs
The new floor runs about $5 to $12 per square foot installed. Taking out tile is added on top of that and priced at the measurement, because it depends on what’s under it. Slide to your square footage for the floor itself.
A 12 × 16 bedroom is about 200 sq ft.
Wear layer, room shape and the floor underneath all move the number inside this range.
Estimates only, not a quote. Your price depends on your rooms, the product you pick and the floor underneath, and is set after the in-home measurement.
What adds to a tile job
- Thick thinset or tile set in a mortar bed
- Low spots found once the tile is up
- Tile running under cabinets or appliances
- Stairs or step-down rooms
What keeps it simpler
- Flat, solid tile that can stay under the plank
- Open rooms with few doorways
- One floor height through the house
- The 50% off installation labor offer
What Changes When the Tile Is Gone
You keep the part of tile you liked, which is a floor that shrugs off water. You lose the parts you didn’t.
Still waterproof
The SPC core doesn’t soak up water. Kitchens and baths stay just as easy to wipe down as they were with tile.
No grout to scrub
Planks click together edge to edge. There are no grout lines to stain or reseal.
Softer and quieter
The attached pad takes the edge off footsteps. Rooms that used to echo get calmer.
What’s Inside a Plank
SPC means stone plastic composite. It’s rigid, and it doesn’t swell.
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- Wear layer. Clear top coat, 6 to 20 mil. It takes the scratches.
- Printed wood look. The grain and color you see.
- SPC core. Stone plastic composite. Waterproof and rigid.
- Attached pad. Quieter underfoot, no separate underlayment.
What Turns Up When Florida Tile Comes Off
Tile hides the slab for decades. Once it’s up, the concrete underneath decides what happens next. These are the things the installer looks for, and why.
A slab that hasn’t breathed in years
Under tile, the concrete has been covered since the house was built. Before plank goes over it, it gets a moisture check. One maker’s limit is 90% relative humidity with in-place probes, or 8 pounds on an emission test.
Thinset ridges and hidden dips
Tile setters comb thinset into ridges, and some of it stays stuck to the slab. Thick tile can also hide dips. Makers commonly want the floor flat within about 3/16 of an inch over 10 feet, so ridges get ground and dips get filled.
Heat that tile never minded
Tile doesn’t move in the heat. Vinyl plank moves a little. One maker calls for a 5/8-inch wall gap, instead of 1/4 inch, in areas that get hotter than 85°F. Florida rooms and spots behind west-facing glass get planned that way.
After a storm
Grout is porous, so storm water that sits on a tile floor leaves stains in the joints. Plank has no grout. The planks don’t soak up water, and the surface wipes clean once the house is dry.
Older flooring underneath
Now and then older vinyl flooring or adhesive shows up under tile. The EPA advises not to sand or grind flooring that may contain asbestos, and to have a trained professional check it before remodeling disturbs it. Tell the installer if you know of any.
Dust from chipping
Chipping tile, mortar and concrete makes silica dust. OSHA’s construction rule covers handheld chipping tools and doesn’t allow dry sweeping of that dust. Wet methods and HEPA vacuums are what the rule calls for. Ask how dust is handled on your job.
Keeping Tile vs Switching to Vinyl Plank
Tile is a good floor. It just isn’t easy on feet and knees, and the grout never stops needing work. Here’s the honest trade.
| Keep the tile | Plank over the tile | Tile out, plank in | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Waterproof tile, porous grout. | Waterproof plank on top. | Waterproof plank on the slab. |
| Underfoot | Hard and cool. | Softer, with the attached pad. | Softer, with the attached pad. |
| Grout | Still there to clean and seal. | Covered. Wide joints get filled first. | Gone. |
| Floor height | No change. | Goes up. Doors and transitions may need work. | Usually at or below the old height. |
| When it works | Tile is sound and you like it. | Tile is flat, solid, well bonded, with grout joints about 1/4 inch or narrower. | Tile is cracked, loose, hollow or uneven, or height is a problem. |
| How long it lasts | 75 to 100 years for the tile itself. | 20-mil over SPC: 20 years or more. | 20-mil over SPC: 20 years or more. |
The tile life range comes from a Florida life-expectancy chart published by a home inspectors’ association. The grout limit is from one maker’s instructions for laying plank over ceramic and porcelain tile.
Picking a plank to replace tile
Going from tile to plank changes more than the surface. A few choices make the switch look planned instead of patched.
- Wood look or stone look. If you like the tile look and hate the grout, luxury vinyl tile comes in stone and concrete looks on the same waterproof core.
- Hold samples to the cabinets. Beige tile went with almost anything. A wood tone has to sit well next to your cabinets, counters and baseboards. Put samples right against them.
- Run it the long way. Whole-house tile was often laid on the diagonal. Planks usually look best running the length of the main rooms.
- Mind the edges. Where plank meets a floor you’re keeping, like a tiled shower or a bath you aren’t redoing, the transition height matters. The installer shows you the trim options.
- Wear layer. Tile never scratched. Plank can. In the kitchen and at the back door, where tile took the most abuse, go with 20 mil.
Getting ready for tile removal day
Tile removal is the loudest, dustiest part of any flooring job. A few steps the week before make it easier to live through.
- Take things off nearby walls. Chipping shakes the slab. Pictures, mirrors and shelves on walls next to the work area are safer down.
- Empty low cabinets and shelves. Anything with glass or china in rooms being done should be packed or moved.
- Close off the rest of the house. Shut the doors to rooms that aren’t being worked on, and ask the installer about covering return vents.
- Plan the kitchen. If the kitchen floor is being done, have a plan for meals and for where the fridge contents go if it has to move.
- Find a quiet place for pets. The noise upsets most animals. A day away is kinder.
- Tell the installer what you know. Past leaks, tiles that were patched, or older flooring you know is under the tile.
- Keep the AC running. The slab and the new cartons should sit at normal living temperature.
Read Before You Pull Tile
Two questions almost every tile owner asks us.
Tile Removal Questions
Do you have to remove my tile before putting down vinyl plank?
Not always. If the tile is flat, solid and well bonded, plank can go over it. If tiles are cracked, loose or hollow, or the floor is uneven, they come up first. The installer checks this during the free measurement.
How much does it cost to take out tile?
It depends on how the tile was set and what’s under it, so it’s priced at the measurement. The new floor itself runs about $5 to $12 per square foot installed, before your discount.
Is tile removal messy?
Breaking up tile makes noise and dust. Furniture comes out of the room, and the debris leaves with us when the job is done. Ask the installer what to cover or move before the crew arrives.
How long does a tile job take?
Longer than a carpet job, because the tile and thinset have to come off and the slab has to be made flat. The installer will give you the timeline for your rooms before work starts.
Will my doors still close?
If the tile comes out, the new floor usually sits at or below the old height. If plank goes over tile, the floor rises and some doors may need trimming. That’s planned at the measurement.
What about tile under my kitchen cabinets?
Tile under the cabinets is often left in place, with the new floor running up to the cabinet base. The installer confirms this for your kitchen. The installer will check how your cabinets and appliances sit before deciding.
Is vinyl plank as waterproof as tile?
The planks are. The SPC core doesn’t absorb water. Wipe up spills and standing water the same way you would on tile.
Could there be asbestos under my tile?
Ceramic tile itself isn’t the usual concern. Older vinyl flooring and its adhesive sometimes turn up underneath, though. The EPA advises against sanding or grinding flooring that may contain asbestos, and suggests having it checked by a trained professional before remodeling. Tell the installer if you know what’s under your tile.
Why can’t plank go over my wide grout lines?
Wide or deep joints can press through the plank and show on the surface. One maker allows its plank over ceramic or porcelain tile with grout joints up to 1/4 inch wide. Wider joints get filled first, or the tile comes out.
Doesn’t tile last longer than vinyl plank?
It does. A home inspectors’ association chart puts ceramic tile at 75 to 100 years. A 20-mil plank over an SPC core lasts 20 years or more. Most people don’t replace tile because it wore out. They replace it for comfort, grout and looks.
How is the dust handled?
Chipping tile and mortar makes silica dust, and OSHA’s construction rule doesn’t allow dry sweeping of it. Wet methods and HEPA vacuums are what the rule points to. Ask the installer how dust is controlled on your job, and close off rooms that aren’t being worked on.
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