Demolition Contractor in Killarney Farms, Santa Clara

Killarney Farms Remodel Demolition Over Slab Floors

A large share of the houses in Killarney Farms sit on concrete slabs, and in the Eichler and Eichler-style homes the heat comes from tubing cast into that slab. When owners remodel, the slab is the one thing that must not get damaged by accident. A chisel driven a little too deep while removing tile can puncture a heating loop that is hard to find and expensive to fix.

So in these houses we take flooring up slowly, with scrapers and low-impact tools instead of heavy breakers. If the remodel needs new drain locations or a trench in the slab, the tubing is located before any cut, and we cut only inside the marked area. Many owners in this neighborhood decide to abandon the old radiant system and install a new heating method; even then, we treat the slab carefully, since it still holds up the house.

Post-and-Beam and Flat Roof Tear-Outs in Killarney Farms

Mid-century post-and-beam houses carry the roof on exposed beams and posts rather than on interior bearing walls. That makes interior wall removal easier in some places and riskier in others, because a post that looks decorative can be carrying a beam. We never remove a post or beam without plans from your engineer.

Roofs here are low-slope or flat, and many have been re-covered more than once. Older built-up roofing and the mastic used on it can contain asbestos, so roofing is always part of the survey before a full teardown or a roof replacement. If it tests positive, a certified abatement contractor removes it before we demolish anything.

Full Teardowns in Killarney Farms

Not every owner keeps the original house. Some find that a single story mid-century home on a flat lot does not suit a growing family, and that building new is the better path. A teardown here follows the standard Santa Clara sequence: the asbestos survey and BAAQMD filing first, then the city demolition permit, with Silicon Valley Power pulling the electric meter and PG&E ending gas service.

The radiant slab adds one more step. The old piping inside it has to be drained, and the boiler and connections removed, before the slab is broken out. The concrete goes to recycling once the tubing and any other non-concrete material are separated from it.

• Asbestos survey including roofing
• Radiant system drained and disconnected
• Slab broken out and tubing separated
• Concrete sent to recycling

Killarney Farms Demolition Next Door to Neighbors

Tract lots in Killarney Farms are flat and evenly sized, with houses close together and front garages. Access for equipment is usually good from the street, which keeps teardown time down. The flip side is that neighbors are close, so we pay attention to dust, noise and work hours.

Fences on property lines and mature trees near the house are common. We protect the fences that stay, and we check with the city on any large tree before it is touched.