Removal Specialists | Calgary and Edmonton
We take out laminate and vinyl plank floors, pull the underlay and every fastener, and grind off any glue. We remove floors only. We never install, so there is no conflict with your new flooring crew.
We remove laminate boards and vinyl plank (also called LVP) from homes and commercial spaces. The boards come up, the underlay comes up, and the staples, nails and glue come off the subfloor. Then we haul everything away.
Both floors are made in planks and often snap together without glue. That makes the job sound simple, and sometimes it is. The hard part is what the floor was fastened to, and what sits under it.
This page covers laminate and vinyl plank. Older sheet flooring is on our linoleum and sheet vinyl removal page, and vinyl tile is on our VCT tile removal page.
A floating floor is not attached to the subfloor. The planks lock to each other and sit on a thin underlay. A glued-down floor is bonded to the subfloor with adhesive. The two are removed in very different ways.
| Floating click-lock | Glued down | |
|---|---|---|
| How it is held | Planks lock together, no bond to the subfloor | Adhesive bonds the planks to the subfloor |
| How it comes out | Boards lift from an open edge | Planks are cut up and scraped or lifted in pieces |
| What is left behind | Underlay, a few staples or tape | Adhesive that has to be ground or scraped off |
| Time on site | Short for the floor itself | Longer, because the adhesive is the main job |
| Dust control | Low dust | HEPA shrouds on the grinder |
If you do not know which type you have, send us a photo or call. Lift a piece of trim or a floor vent cover and look at the edge. We can usually tell from a picture.
Laminate has a hard surface layer on a fibreboard core. It is usually installed as a floating floor over a foam or felt underlay. Laminate flooring removal means lifting the boards, taking out the underlay and clearing anything fastened into the subfloor.
Many homeowners search for how to remove laminate flooring before they call us. Taking up floating boards is quick. The harder part is the underlay, the fasteners and anything glued down. Laminate also swells when it gets wet, so if boards have lifted or bulged, we check the subfloor as we go.
Vinyl plank, or luxury vinyl plank (LVP), is softer and thinner than laminate. Many are click-lock floors. Others are glued to the subfloor, which is common over concrete in basements and commercial spaces.
Click-lock plank lifts out much like laminate. Glue-down plank is the slower job. The planks peel up in pieces, and the adhesive stays on the slab. That adhesive has to come off before new flooring goes down.
Vinyl flooring removal is a common do-it-yourself search, but the right method depends on the type of plank. Vinyl plank flooring removal on a slab is a grinding job, not a prying job. The FAQ below gives the short answer.
The job follows the same six steps in most homes and commercial spaces.
We look at the floor, check the edges and trim, and confirm the type, the subfloor and the area. We agree with you on what comes out and where the debris is carried.
Rooms that are not part of the job are closed off with poly.
On a floating floor, the crew starts at an open edge and lifts the boards. On a glued-down floor, the crew cuts the planks into sections and lifts them.
The underlay, staples, nails and tape come out so the subfloor is clear.
If the floor was glued down, the adhesive is ground or scraped off. On concrete, grinders with dust shrouds connected to HEPA vacuums do the work.
We carry the old flooring out, vacuum with HEPA filtration and leave the subfloor ready for the next trade.
Concrete slabs are common under glue-down floors in basements, condos and commercial units. Once the planks are up, adhesive stays on the slab in patches or ridges. New flooring will not bond well over it, and it can show through as bumps.
We take it off with grinders fitted with dust shrouds connected to HEPA vacuums. The dust is pulled out at the source. The work is virtually dust-free. A little dust still escapes, but there is no big cloud filling the room.
We work on slabs with in-floor heating all the time, so tell us if yours has it when you call. Read more on our concrete grinding page, or see how we take off leftover adhesive in our guide to removing glue from floors.
Wood subfloors need a lighter touch. Staples and nails hold the underlay and sometimes the planks, and they leave small holes and raised heads. Careless prying can split or chip the plywood.
Our crew lifts the floor without gouging the subfloor and takes out every fastener. If boards have been wet, we point out any damaged plywood so you can have it replaced before the next floor goes in.
If your next floor needs a flatter surface, see our uneven floor repair page.
Laminate and vinyl plank are newer floors. The concern is what is under them. Many homes and older commercial spaces had a new floor laid over an older one.
Older vinyl tile, sheet flooring and their black glue can contain asbestos. You cannot tell by looking. Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code has rules for work that disturbs materials that contain asbestos.
An independent third-party consultant tests the suspect layers first. We do not test our own work. If a test is positive, our crew handles the abatement before the floor removal. Learn more on our asbestos floor tiles page, or our asbestos removal and abatement page.
Water gets under floating floors from leaks, spills, pet accidents and damp slabs. Laminate bulges and lifts, and vinyl plank can trap moisture beneath it. Mould can grow in the dark.
When the planks come up, we look at the underlay and the subfloor. If we see staining, soft wood or a musty smell, we tell you so you can have it checked before new flooring goes in. We remove flooring. We do not repair water damage.
For the warning signs, see our page on water damage under flooring.
A clean subfloor makes the next flooring crew’s job easier. We leave the surface free of staples, nails, underlay and adhesive.
Different new floors need different surfaces. Floating floors and LVP show every bump, so ridges and leftover glue matter. We leave the floor ready for your installer. We do not install it.
Other floors we remove include carpet and hardwood. If you are a flooring contractor, see how we work with installers on our For Flooring Installers page.
We carry the old flooring out and haul it away. You do not need to rent a bin or make trips to a waste site.
Flooring with asbestos is handled as asbestos waste. It never goes in with regular debris.
Our crews are based in Calgary and Edmonton. We work in condos in the Beltline, houses in Inglewood and Bridgeland and commercial units near Chinook Centre. In Edmonton, we work in homes near Whyte Avenue and units close to the University of Alberta.
For details on each city, see our Calgary and Edmonton pages. Property managers can see how we work between tenants on For Property Managers.
Calgary: 403-874-3000
Edmonton: 780-977-2444
Tell us what floor you have and we will go through the job with you.