Bathroom Demolition in Mountain View

Bathroom Tear-Outs in Older Mountain View Houses

Bathrooms in Mountain View's older homes were built heavy. A 1950s tract bathroom often has wall tile floated on an inch or more of mortar, tied to wire lath, a cast iron tub, and tile floors laid over more mortar. Bungalows near downtown may have plaster walls and old galvanized pipe. Getting all of that out takes more muscle and more truckloads than the small room suggests.

Bathrooms are also tight. There is no room for equipment, so everything is broken, cut and carried out by hand. A cast iron tub can be broken in place or carried out whole if you want to keep it.

Bathroom remodels here range from a quick refresh of a hall bath in a Waverly Park ranch to a full rebuild of every bathroom before a family moves into an older Old Mountain View home. The demolition scope changes with the plan. A refresh may keep the tub and only pull wall tile and the vanity, while a full rebuild moves fixtures and needs the floor and walls opened all the way.

Finding Water Damage During Bathroom Demolition

Old bathrooms often hide rot. Leaks around tubs, toilets and shower pans soak the subfloor and the bottom of the wall framing for years before anyone notices. In raised-floor homes, which are common in Old Mountain View, the damage can reach the joists below. We open the floor and walls, show you what we find, and remove damaged subfloor so your contractor can decide on repairs.

In slab homes, especially Eichlers, the issue is different. The drain lines are in the slab, and the radiant heat lines may run close to the bathroom floor. We stop at the slab surface unless the plans show where cuts are allowed.

Asbestos and Lead Checks Before Bathroom Demolition

Bathroom materials from before the 1980s can include asbestos in floor tile, sheet vinyl, mastic, joint compound and some tile adhesives. We have those sampled first. When a sample comes back positive, a state-certified abatement firm takes that material out under containment, and we start only after they clear the room. We set up the timing but do not perform that removal ourselves.

Painted trim, doors and walls in older bathrooms may also contain lead. We use lead-safe methods when cutting or scraping them and finish every day with a HEPA vacuum pass.

Bathroom Demolition in Townhomes and Condos

Many Mountain View bathrooms are in townhomes and condos, especially in neighborhoods like Sylvan Park and around the newer rowhouse developments. In a shared building, noise carries through walls and floors, water has to be shut off without affecting neighbors, and the HOA usually has rules on work hours, elevator use and where debris can be staged.

We get the HOA rules and any approval letters before we schedule. Debris goes out in bags and small loads through the route the association allows, and the hallways and stairs get floor and wall protection.