Removing granite countertops can be a complicated task. To ensure safety and avoid damages to other kitchen fixtures, removal should be undertaken carefully to avoid any missteps that might cause them to collapse in on themselves or damage other fixtures in your kitchen.
First, identify the main joint connecting cabinets and countertops, using a pry bar inserted through it to hit it with a gentle hammer until its glue or adhesive breaks off.
Remove the Backsplash
Installing a backsplash serves a multitude of functions in the kitchen, the most prominent one being to cover up any gap between your granite counter and wall that allows water to collect there and also adds decorative flair to your space.
To remove a backsplash, you will require some tools and hard work. First, prepare your countertops and wall surfaces by covering high-risk areas with drop cloth or newspaper secured with masking tape.
Next, remove all fixture covers in the area where your backsplash is located to prevent potential damage during removal and protect floors and countertops from scratches or stains.
Once you have secured the area, stripping away the old caulking can begin. Caulk is made from durable material designed to seal edges while protecting stone countertops from water ingress.
Start by cutting away any caulking around where your granite backsplash meets countertops and walls using a utility knife, and separating it from granite using a putty knife.
Continue to pry away at the caulking from the granite with your putty knife until it becomes loose enough to pull apart and peel away easily. This step may prove challenging, so additional force may be required.
Use a hammer or mallet to tap the handle of your putty knife until the glue that holds down your granite backsplash begins to come away. Repeat this step as necessary until all the backsplash has been removed completely.
As this DIY project can be quite a difficult undertaking, the rewards will make the effort well worth your while once completed. Wear appropriate protective equipment like safety goggles and suede or leather work gloves to safeguard both hands while working on this DIY task. Also have someone available to help lift loose granite once it starts coming loose as this will prevent injuries or accidents due to working with sharp tools used during this DIY endeavor.
Remove the Cabinets
Removing cabinets from granite countertops requires considerable work. Care must be taken not to cause damage to countertops, floors and other areas in your house during this process.
First, identify whether your cabinets are secured with screws or glue. If there are screws present, use a drill/screwdriver/hammer combination to loosen them; for glued ones use a utility knife/hammer combo instead.
Now locate the corner where the front brace of your cabinet meets with the bottom of your countertop and tap an end of a pry bar into this joint using a hammer to loosen any glue that binds them together. Gently work this joint until the glue has released completely.
When there’s plywood beneath your granite, use a pry bar to wedge off and separate it from its cabinet support posts. If both pieces remain attached, continue using pry bars and shims to pry it apart piecemeal as you proceed.
Care should be taken when taking off granite slabs as too rapid or careless removal could result in cracking the material. Add shims as you work so the gap between cabinet supports and granite doesn’t increase further.
station at least one person every 3 to 4 feet along the front edge of your counter and slowly tilt it from its rear edge so it reaches into your waiting workers’ hands.
Once your countertop is free from its cabinet support, it must be moved carefully to its storage area. Failure to do this correctly could cause cracks in its granite material if moved too fast or with too much weight, requiring repairs later.
For kitchen remodels, removing existing granite countertops may help your new cabinets appear more realistic than if they had simply been installed new ones. However, this step may not be necessary when just refacing cabinets;
Remove the Plywood
Granite countertops add elegance to any kitchen, yet can crack and chip over time. Therefore, it is crucial that you safeguard the surface before beginning work on it – one way of doing this would be removing its protective plywood backing.
Step one in uninstalling plywood from your granite countertops should involve taking away its backsplash if it exists, as doing so will make removing it without breaking it easier.
Once your backsplash has been cleared away, the next step should be loosening any screws connecting plywood sheeting to cabinets. While these are often concealed within them, visible screws may also run across top of plywood sheets on cabinets as well.
Loosen the screws using a screw tip and drill, and once loose use a pry bar to separate the joints between cabinets and plywood panels.
When distancing joints, it’s essential not to strike too hard or else the surface of your cabinet could be damaged. Instead, aim for gradual strikes on the edge of the backsplash in small, consistent steps until all joints have been disjoined.
Once the connection has been removed, use a hammer and pry bar to strike the edge of the backsplash while simultaneously moving it down bit by bit until you can completely dismantle it. Striking it too hard could cause cracking on its edges if too much force is used in striking it back against you; use light strikes until all surfaces have been hit before taking any action against them.
Step four in uninstalling plywood from granite involves scraping away any extra adhesive or glue left behind from its removal, using a heavy-duty scraper as needed to do this effectively.
In most cases, the plywood that lies underneath your granite will not need replacing; however, if it has become aged or decayed it should be. To make removal easier it would be a good idea to do this before installing your new granite countertop as this could prove difficult and cumbersome to transport.
Remove the Granite
Granite countertops are one of the most beautiful and long-term fixtures you can add to your kitchen, yet like all natural stones they may begin showing signs of wear over time. Luckily, however, granite is relatively easy to remove and can be reused in various ways like new countertops or scrap.
Breaking granite into smaller pieces is usually the quickest and simplest way to remove it, though this requires careful planning and patience. Depending on your skill level and timelines, professional assistance may also be beneficial in this task.
First, identify where the countertop connects to the cabinets by looking inside of them to locate its point of connection. Once identified, use a leveled pry bar to gently prise apart this joint so as to loosen its connection from your countertop and wiggle out any backsplash from it.
Next, locate the front edge of the cabinet where it meets its front brace – this joint connects the wood platform of the cabinet to its granite countertop and should be the target for pry bar use to loosen any glue that might be holding it together. Use a hammer to tap on this joint with pry bar end until any glue holds loosens itself from place.
Continue working around the front edge of the cabinet by prying up plywood and granite until they come away from cabinet supports a few inches back, which allows you to add shims as necessary to support the countertop.
To successfully remove a granite counter, it requires several people who can help lift and support it. At least one should stand every three or four feet of your countertop, then slowly tilt from its back edge until it slides away in one piece.
If the granite countertop is damaged, filling in its cracks with epoxy or resin may provide more permanent solutions than breaking it up into smaller pieces; however, this option is less aesthetically pleasing.
Limescale buildup on granite surfaces is another common issue, making its surface appear dull. To address this, use a stone-safe scrubbing pad such as Brillo pads to quickly and efficiently scrub away build-up minerals without harming or disfiguring the granite itself. Alternatively, try cleaning with soapy water – both methods will quickly and safely dissolve them without harming its integrity.