Most floor jobs start by taking something out: carpet and pad, old vinyl, or a hardwood floor that is beyond saving. La Cumbre removes carpet, old vinyl and linoleum, and demolishes old hardwood as part of its floor work, and Google reviewers describe carpet pulled from living rooms and stairs before new wood went in. The photos on this page, from the Google listing, show what the crew finds under old floors.
Carpet out, and the question under it
Carpet and pad come up, then the tack strips and staples. What is under them decides the job: good wood that can be refinished, rough boards that need a new floor on top, or a slab. One customer’s living room carpet came up and the oak from her dining room was matched to the new floor.
“Tony & his experienced team did an excellent job, finally pulled the living room carpet, Tony was able to match the original oak from my dining room for the carpet replacement in the living room for a beautiful flow including entry way refinishing. Communication was outstanding. We worked together choosing the proper stain color & was able to coordinate their schedule with Signature Painting & Custom Finishes (Edmundo) to keep the project running smoothly. If you want the job done right, these are the right guys to hire, thank you”Mary Ann H. · Google review
“Tony and his team at LaCumbre Floor Covering & Design are simply the best! I am am Real Estate Broker in Santa Barbara & have used Tony for my own home as well as refer him out regularly to many of my clients who are incredibly discerning and require the highest level of quality. They are all impressed! From simple carpet removal, floor refinishing, color matching, to new hardwood & manufactured floor installation, La Cumbre Floor Covering & Design has got you covered! I will continue to use and refer Tony & his team any chance I get.”Chris H. · Google review
When the old hardwood has to go
Boards that are worn too thin to sand again, buckled, or eaten through come out. Sometimes it is a few boards. Sometimes it is the whole floor, down to the subfloor or slab, which is then repaired and leveled before anything new goes down. See the subfloor guide.
Old glue and old finish
A glued-down floor leaves adhesive on the subfloor. It is ground off so the new floor bonds to wood or concrete, not to residue.
Where it goes
Old flooring is a construction waste stream with its own rules in Santa Barbara and Ventura, including notification rules for some older resilient floors. The local rules section lists them.
Questions
Is there hardwood under my carpet?
Sometimes, in older houses. Lift a corner in a closet to look. If there is wood, it can often be refinished. One published story tells of a 1919 Santa Barbara bungalow with original oak under its carpet.
Do you remove the old floor, or do I?
The crew removes it as part of the job. Tell Tony what the floor is and roughly how big the rooms are when you call.
What about old vinyl or linoleum?
La Cumbre removes it. Some older resilient floors and their adhesives contain asbestos, so in an older house the safe order is to test the floor before it comes up. If a test is positive, removal follows the state and county rules on the lead and asbestos notes. Say what the floor is and how old the house is when you call.