Why leaving the thinset behind ruins the new floor
The most common shortcut in tile demolition, and what it costs the next installer.
When tile comes up, a layer of thinset mortar stays bonded to the slab. It is uneven, ridged from the original trowel pattern, and sometimes a half inch thick in spots.
A crew that removes tile but leaves the thinset can finish in half the time and quote a lower price. The problem lands on whoever installs the new floor.
Luxury vinyl plank telegraphs every ridge underneath it. Tile set over old thinset ends up with lippage. Glue-down products bond to the old adhesive instead of the slab, and that bond fails first.
Correcting it later means the installer stops work, grinds the slab, and bills you for a scope you already thought you paid for — or worse, installs anyway and you find out in a year.
Ask any demolition bid one question: is thinset and adhesive removal included, and will the slab be ready for installation. The answer separates the real bids from the cheap ones.
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