Can the subfloor stay when tile and mortar come out?

Ask the new flooring installer what they need to inspect and which layer they intend to reuse. A request to save “the floor” might mean the concrete slab, timber subfloor or a separate underlay. Put the retained layer on a sketch and name the layers proposed for removal.

Record any heating system, earlier covering or material assessment information. The heated-floor cutting guide explains why embedded services change the enquiry. Unknown materials need assessment before disturbance; their colour or apparent age does not clear them for removal.

Where the bond and build-up are uncertain, discuss a controlled assessment area with the responsible contractors. Its purpose is to establish how the layers separate and what condition is left, not to guarantee that the entire room is identical. Agree the location and limits before opening it.

Ask the installer to distinguish acceptable residue from damage requiring repair or replacement. If retaining the underlay is not practical, record the revised removal depth and who approves it. Do not extend work into a structural subfloor merely because the upper layers are difficult to separate.

Door thresholds, stairs, cabinets and adjoining flooring can have different build-ups. Mark the stop lines and identify who repairs the edges. The exposed area may still need testing, levelling or other preparation chosen by the replacement installer.

Use the general substrate-handover guide to record the final boundary. This tile-specific review supplies the missing decision: which bonded layers can reasonably leave while the agreed supporting floor remains.

Enquire about interior removal with the tile area and the layer you hope to retain. CoreCut’s interior demolition scope can then be reviewed with the replacement installer.