1. Review the floor build-up
Confirm the finishes, screed layers, known services, retained edges and required handover.
Core service
Floor and Screed Removal across Surrey & London
Removal of floor finishes, screed and associated substrates ahead of refurbishment or structural work.
We plan the work around your site, access, waste removal and the finish needed for the next stage.
- Veteran-led
- Clear quotations
- Project-specific RAMS where required
- Waste routes planned
- Ready for the next stage
What this service includes
This service is suitable for homeowners, builders, developers and commercial fit-out teams. The scope is built around the project information, retained elements and the condition needed for the next stage.
Typical scope options
- Tiles, screed and adhesives
- Timber, laminate and carpet
- Raised floors and associated substrates
- Clearance for the next trade
What can be included
- Agreed floor removal sequence
- Protection of retained areas where agreed
- Waste removal within the written scope
Controlled removal above the retained substrate
Floor and screed removal takes up agreed floor finishes and screed layers above the retained structural substrate. The work can include tiles, timber, laminate, vinyl, bonded materials, sand-and-cement screeds, proprietary screeds, adhesives, membranes and levelling compounds where they are identified in the scope.
The starting point is to establish the likely screed thickness, substrate condition and any known underfloor heating, pipes, cables or damp-proof membranes. Concealed conditions cannot always be established beforehand, so the service does not promise an undamaged substrate.
When floor and screed removal is needed
- A flooring contractor needs existing finishes and specified screed removed before a replacement floor is installed.
- A renovation requires tiles, timber, laminate, vinyl, adhesives or levelling compounds taken up from an agreed area.
- A flat or occupied building needs controlled removal planned around noise, vibration, loading and shared access.
- The project needs a defined substrate condition for inspection or the following flooring trade.
Thickness, services and retained edges
Useful quotation information includes photographs, room dimensions, known floor build-up, available drawings, access details and the intended flooring handover. Underfloor heating, pipes, cables, damp-proof membranes, thresholds, retained stairs and adjacent finishes need to be identified before the method is selected.
Hand tools, mechanical breakers and floor-removal equipment are chosen around the material, access, vibration limits and retained substrate. Flats and occupied buildings may require additional planning for working hours, dust containment, debris routes and loading.
Debris routes and substrate boundaries
Floor finishes, screed and bonded material create dense debris, so loading and waste routes are planned before removal begins. Dust, vibration and noise are managed around the actual building and access route, with retained edges and finishes protected where included.
Screed removal is not structural slab removal. Concrete Removal addresses agreed concrete elements and requires its own scope. This service stops at the stated retained substrate and does not assume that concealed membranes, services or the substrate itself can be left unaffected.
See this work in practice
Oxshott is shown because its verified record supports floor removal and exposed floor structure. No decorative project association is used where the recorded scope does not support it.
A floor-removal sequence
2. Plan access and containment
Set out working hours, dust controls, protection and the route for dense debris through the property.
3. Select the removal method
Choose hand tools or mechanical equipment around the material, access, vibration and substrate risk.
4. Remove finishes and screed
Take up the agreed layers in a controlled sequence, stopping if concealed conditions require further instruction.
5. Clear and inspect the substrate
Remove debris and review the stated handover condition with the client or following flooring contractor.
A substrate condition defined for the next trade
The handover may be a floor cleared of finishes, a specified screed layer removed, or an exposed substrate ready for inspection or the following flooring contractor. Surface tolerances, repairs, new membranes and new floor installation are not assumed unless expressly included.
Oxshott is used as the principal evidence where its project record confirms floor removal and exposed floor structure. No other project is used unless its recorded scope supports relevant floor or screed work.
Questions clients ask
What floor finishes can be removed?
The scope can include identified tiles, timber, laminate, vinyl, bonded finishes, adhesives, membranes and levelling compounds.
Can you remove sand-and-cement screed?
Yes, where the screed layer, likely thickness, access and retained substrate are identified before the method is agreed.
Will the structural substrate be undamaged?
No guarantee can be made where concealed conditions are unknown. The work is planned to remove the stated layers above the retained substrate.
What about underfloor heating and services?
Known heating, pipes, cables and membranes must be identified before work. Unexpected services may require the work to pause for further instruction.
Is screed removal the same as concrete slab removal?
No. Screed removal addresses specified layers above the retained substrate. Structural slab removal is a separate concrete-removal scope.
Can you work in flats or occupied buildings?
Yes, subject to access, working-hour, dust, vibration, noise, loading and debris-route planning.
Related services
Internal Strip-Out
Selective or complete removal of kitchens, bathrooms, finishes, partitions and redundant interiors.
ExploreCommercial Strip-Out
Commercial strip-out planned around access, retained elements, waste logistics and programme deadlines.
ExploreSite Clearance
Clearance of demolition debris, redundant structures and agreed materials for the next stage of work.
ExploreCan older flooring and adhesives be removed without survey information?
Older materials may need appropriate survey information before disturbance. The agreed scope is reviewed against the information available before work begins.