Parquet floor and black mastic removal
Lifting old parquet in a pre-war or post-war apartment? The black glue underneath often contains asbestos. We remove it under the right filing, and work on your building’s schedule so your floor installer can start on time.
- Licensed in New York & New Jersey
- NYC DEP-certified investigators
- EPA-certified lead professionals
- Fully insured, COIs on request
- Free in-person estimates
From the 1920s through the 1970s, parquet and strip floors in New York apartments were commonly laid in black asphalt-based mastic, and much of it contains asbestos. It’s harmless sitting under the floor, but scraping, grinding or chemically stripping it during a renovation releases fibers. Most rooms involve more than a minor amount, so in NYC its removal is usually a DEP-filed asbestos project, not something a flooring contractor can do.
This is one of the jobs we do most. We know what managing agents ask for, how co-op alteration agreements work, and how to keep neighbors and hallways protected.
What’s included
- Testing of the mastic if you don’t have results yet (TEM where needed)
- DEP ACP-7 filing and independent air monitoring
- Removal of parquet with mastic, or mastic left after the wood is lifted
- Containment that protects hallways, elevators and neighbors
- Scheduling around your building’s work hours and elevator rules
- COIs naming the building and managing agent
- Air clearance and the ACP-21 for your alteration file
When people call us
- Replacing parquet with new hardwood, tile or engineered flooring
- Gut renovations and combining apartments
- Leveling floors for new radiant heat or underlayment
- Kitchens and baths extending into old flooring
- Estate or pre-sale renovations
Ways to save time and money
- Test during design, not after demo starts, so filing time doesn’t delay your floor installer.
- Ask about encapsulation. If the new floor can go over the old one and your board allows it, leaving the mastic sealed in place may avoid removal.
- Do all rooms in one filing rather than room by room.
- Architects and designers: send plans early and we’ll flag asbestos, lead and filing time in your schedule.
What it costs
Priced by square footage, the number of rooms and work areas, whether the wood comes out with the mastic, and the days of air monitoring. Send your report and room sizes, or we’ll come out for a free estimate.
Free in-person estimates
Many jobs can be quoted from photos and a report. When a job needs to be seen, we come out and estimate it for free, anywhere in New York or New Jersey.
Every size of job
We handle the smallest jobs and the biggest, with the same care.
How it works
Send your report and room sizes
Your ACP-5 or lab results plus a floor plan or rough room sizes. If you don’t have results yet, we test first.
Estimate
We quote from the plan and photos, or visit for a free in-person estimate.
Filing and building approvals
We file the ACP-7, send COIs and coordinate hours and elevator use with the super.
Removal, clearance and ACP-21
Most apartments take one to three days on site, followed by air clearance and DEP’s ACP-21.
Frequently asked questions
Does all black mastic contain asbestos?
No, but much of it in older NYC buildings does. Only a lab test can tell, and floor mastics often need TEM analysis to confirm a negative result.
Can the flooring contractor just grind it off?
Not if it contains asbestos. Grinding or sanding asbestos mastic without licensed abatement, and a DEP filing above minor quantities, isn’t allowed and can contaminate the apartment.
How long will this delay my renovation?
Usually a week or two for filing and scheduling, then a few days on site. Testing during design avoids most of the delay.
Do you work in doorman buildings with strict hours?
Yes. We work to your alteration agreement, work hours and elevator reservations.
Will neighbors be affected?
Hallways and elevators are protected, the work area is sealed under negative air, and independent monitors test the air throughout.
Can I live in the apartment during removal?
For whole-apartment floors we recommend staying elsewhere for those few days. For one room, it’s sometimes possible.
What does my board or managing agent need?
Usually COIs, the ACP-7 before work and the ACP-21 after. We send them directly.
We serve New York and New Jersey
New York
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester, the Hudson Valley and upstate.
(347) 394-4411
New Jersey
Every county, from North Jersey (Bergen, Hudson, Essex) to Central Jersey (Monmouth, Ocean) and South Jersey.
(908) 271-8485
Tell us what you’re dealing with.
One call or a quick online request gets you a clear quote, or a free in-person estimate when the job needs one. We serve New York and New Jersey alike.