How To Remove Granite Countertops That Are Glued Down

Kitchen remodeling is an constructive way to uplift your house's look and value. Among the most common areas of interest is the countertop.

Replacing an former granite countertop with a more than versatile and beautiful textile like quartz can instantly upgrade the expect of your kitchen. While some granite slabs have higher price tags than quartz, the latter offers more benefits.

For instance, quartz material is almost indestructible and bacteria-gratis as it is non-porous–unlike granite countertops. However, before installing the new quartz countertop, y'all must remove the quondam granite slab carefully.

While some other countertop materials like laminate might exist easy to DIY, removing granite slabs and installing quartz require high levels of expertise, tools, and technical skills. It is recommended that yous seek the services of an practiced to brand the entire process a success.

This guide will explain how to remove countertop granite slabs as safely and easily equally possible.

Essential Tools Required when Removing a Granite Countertop

Removing granite countertop slabs requires some special tools to ensure a shine process. These include:

Wrench
Dust mask
Gloves
Saucepan
Safety goggles
Chisel
Screwdriver
Putty knife
Pry bar
Caulk softener
Box cutter
Reciprocating saw – for massive and heavy granite countertops

With these tools, you tin can now get-go the following removal process:

Pre-countertop Removal Steps: Remove All Items, Fixtures, and Disconnect All Lines

This is the first and most important step when removing kitchen countertops. It involves clearing everything from the drawers, cabinets, and countertop. Immigration the surface area helps avoid any destruction of items and fixtures during the removal process.

How to remove granite countertop slabs:

Shut off the water valves

Kickoff by shutting off the water valve beneath the sink faucet to avoid water spillage during the process. You should also close off both the cold and hot water valves past turning them clockwise until the water stops running. Finally, disengage the water lines to a higher place the valves past turning the nut counterclockwise using pliers or a wrench.

Disassemble the Faucets

First, trace the disconnected water lines to your sink'southward bottom. Then turn the agree-down nuts counterclockwise to detach, using pliers. Push the faucets upwardly from the rim to remove them.

Remove the Sink

Discover the concord-downward brackets located within the chiffonier effectually the tub'due south base. Unscrew the nuts on each bracket and remove them. Finally, use a pocketknife or a flat chisel to suspension the caulk sealing the sink to the granite countertop, and pull out the sink. This primarily applies to under-mount sinks.

For drop-in fixture sinks, all you demand is to use a chisel or a putty knife to interruption through the adhesive layer holding the sink to the countertop. However, it's adept to take someone help you lot with this footstep to avert amercement.

Remove the Plywood

On the lesser side of your kitchen granite countertop, at that place is a layer of plywood betwixt the cabinets and the granite. To remove it, loosen the screws located within the cabinet, connecting the plywood sail and the cabinet. Use a drill and a screw tip.

Besides, check for another set of screws running upward into the plywood from the top of the cabinet. If there are none, break the agglutinative that connects the plywood to the granite countertop to remove the plywood.

Remove the Backsplash

Using a hammer and a leveled pry bar, it'southward now fourth dimension to remove the backsplash connecting to the countertop. Starting at the topmost edge of the backsplash, lightly strike your pry bar using the hammer to remove the backsplash step by step. Continue doing this until yous remove all the backsplash connected to the countertop.

Removing the Countertop

After completing all the pre-removal steps, it's now time to undertake the primary job –removing the granite countertop. These steps will help y'all in removing the countertop hassle-free.

The first step will be to place the connection point between the granite countertop and the cabinets. Wait within the top of the cabinet to identify the joint.

After this, insert the pry bar into this joint by hitting it gently with your hammer. Turn gently to pause the glue or agglutinative connecting the two.

Tapping a wooden shim between the countertop and the cabinet's edge will assistance to concur the granite countertop at the desired spot. Continue screwing and shimming from the front side of the cabinet until you lot can slowly elevator the entire front end frame.

Go on farther inside the cabinets, using your pry bar and a hammer to raise the granite slab until you reach the far finish. Ensure that yous insert wooden shims at every stride to hold the gap betwixt the chiffonier and the granite slab.

Continue the process until the entire slab is raised. Exist gentle to avert breaking the granite countertop.

To lift the countertop from the superlative of the cabinets, you'll demand help from several people. Depending on the size of the slab, accept one person per every 3-4 feet of the countertop.

Work simultaneously to slowly tilt your countertop from the back edge, dropping information technology into your hands. From here, you can now carefully transfer the granite countertop to where you want information technology stored.

If y'all intend to use the granite slab somewhere else, ensure you shop information technology properly to avert damage. One way to exercise this is to store information technology with its top facing downwardly.

With these simple steps, you can remove granite countertop slabs without causing any damage. However, we ever advise customers to seek the services of an practiced.

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Why Supercede a Granite Countertop with a Quartz One?

Granite countertops are made from 100% naturally mined rock, milled and polished to develop these cute slabs. Though it has the advent of rock, quartz is not 100% natural. Instead, it'southward effectually 90% natural stone, combined with 10% polymer resins.

And then, how does this 90% natural store outrank the 100% natural i? Here are several benefits of using quartz countertops compared to granite ones.

Quartz is more than compatible.

Unlike granite slabs which are all-natural, quartz slabs are altered to create a more uniform and classic wait. For a more than even and consistent look, quartz offers the best solution.

Wide colour range

Quartz slabs come in multiple colors, allowing you lot to choose the i that best suits your style and matches your interior.

Less maintenance, easier to repair

Once installed, quartz countertops require minimal maintenance to keep them in perfect condition. If the slab does somehow chip, information technology's easy to replace the cleaved function due to loftier uniformity.

Immovability

Although granite is durable, quartz outranks information technology. It's harder and resists nigh scratches with greater ease.

Mimicking ability

Since it'due south available in almost any color, quartz can exist made to mimic various stones, including marble and granite. This allows you to take the look you want with the convenience of an ultra durable material.

Antibacterial quality

Since quartz is a not-porous material, it's bacteria-free. This is unlike granite, which is porous and encourages bacterial growth. The non-porous quality makes it the best material for your kitchen countertops.

Source: https://www.caesarstoneus.com/blog/kitchen-countertops-how-to-remove-old-granite-countertops/