Kitchen Demolition in Monterey

Kitchen Tear-Out for Monterey Remodels

Kitchens in older peninsula homes tend to be small, closed off and layered with past updates. It is common to find two or three floors stacked on top of each other, tile over plywood over linoleum, and soffits hiding old ductwork. A clean demolition takes all of that out down to the subfloor and framing so the contractor can see what they are working with.

Our scope usually covers upper and lower cabinets, countertops, backsplash, flooring layers, soffits, the range hood and appliances, and any wall the plans open up. If a wall between the kitchen and dining room is coming out, we confirm with the plans whether it is bearing before touching it. We also look at what the remodel keeps. If the new kitchen reuses the window, the range location or part of the flooring, we mark those before work starts and demolish around them by hand. Keeping one good thing intact is often worth an extra hour of careful work.

Gas, Water and Electrical Before Kitchen Demolition

Before anything is pulled, the gas line to the range is shut and capped, the water supply to the sink and dishwasher is shut and capped, and the circuits feeding the kitchen are turned off at the panel. Your plumber or electrician can handle that, or we can arrange it as part of the job. Nothing is cut until the lines are confirmed dead.

Older peninsula homes sometimes have galvanized water pipe and knob-and-tube wiring hidden in kitchen walls. When we open the walls and find them, we stop and show you so your remodel contractor can decide what to replace. Replacing them during the remodel is usually cheaper than opening finished walls again later.

Asbestos in Old Kitchen Floors and Walls

Vinyl floor tile, the black mastic under it, sheet flooring backing and some joint compound and texture can contain asbestos in homes built before the 1980s. A survey is done before the kitchen is torn out. If any of those layers test positive, a certified abatement contractor removes them first, and we pick up once the area is cleared.

This is the step people most often want to skip, and it is also the one that can stop a remodel cold if an inspector finds disturbed material later. It is faster to sample first. Lab results usually come back within days, which is a small delay compared with a stop-work order in the middle of a remodel.

Kitchen Demolition on Tight Peninsula Lots

In Carmel and Pacific Grove there is often nowhere to park a bin, and in New Monterey the driveway may be too steep for one. We bring debris out in carts or bags to a small truck, make several runs a day, and keep the street clear. When a cabinet set is in good shape, it can go to reuse instead of the trash.

We lay floor protection from the kitchen to the door, seal off the rest of the house with plastic, and clean at the end of each day so the home stays livable if you are staying through the remodel. The refrigerator can often be moved and stay plugged in elsewhere so you are not living out of a cooler.

• Floor runners from kitchen to exit
• Plastic walls sealing off living areas
• Daily debris runs, no bin required
• Reusable cabinets set aside on request