In the middle of a home upgrade and wondering how to remove a granite backsplash. As unbelievable as it may sound, you can remove the backsplash yourself. However, your focus should be on doing so without damaging the wall or hurting yourself. So, how do you remove a granite backsplash safely and easily?
To remove the granite backsplash, you should first get the required materials, including a screwdriver, surface drop cloth, hammer, etc. Afterward, take preventive measures like turning off the electricity and covering surfaces to minimize the risk of accidents. Then, remove the caulk and take out the tile little by little with your putty knife until you can remove the backsplash.
In this post, you’ll learn what to do to eliminate a granite backsplash with just a few simple steps. You won’t need many materials and can do it comfortably at home. Ensure you read to the end of this post for more comprehensive detail.
My Quick Overview (30 sec)
- Removing a granite backsplash requires a few tools, a little time, and patience.
- Less than 10 tools and materials are required to execute a granite backsplash removal. They are a screwdriver, drop cloth, blades, putty knife, hammer, sander, drywall joint compound, sanding pad, and grit sandpaper.
- Remember to turn off power to the area and protect your floors, cabinets, and countertops before you start working.
- Simply remove the caulk, dislodge and remove the granite tile from the wall, lift any excess adhesive, and smooth the surface.
How Is A Granite Backsplash Attached?
Wondering how the experts got the granite backsplash in place? I’ll give you a little detail on what it took. Backsplashes can be a product of granite (the same material used in making granite countertops) chiseled from the stone.
The granite backsplash is attached to the counter with silicone. The seam between the backsplash and the wall is sealed with clear caulk. That’s the effort required to ensure a proper fit for your backsplash.
It’s interesting to note that one of the outstanding factors of a backsplash is its cleanliness. If you have a granite countertop, you know all about the particular requirements it has for maintenance. The same maintenance procedures apply to this backsplash. The backsplash is simple to clean after being stained by food or grease.
Granite remains one of the best materials for making kitchen countertops. They are not affected by the heat, hardly wear out, or even fade.
How To Remove A Granite Backsplash
When you maintain your backsplash correctly, you may never need to change it. These materials last so well and remain polished for several years when managed. Still, there may be reasons to want to remove the granite backsplash. Here is the process to follow if you wish to remove it yourself:
1. Get The Tools Needed
Firstly, you must get the materials you’ll need for the process. This includes a screwdriver, a drop cloth for surfaces, cutlery blades, a putty knife, and a hammer or mallet. You’ll need a sander, either an electrical or manual one, a drywall joint compound, a sanding pad, and grit sandpaper. With your tools ready, dive into the fun part.
2. Take The Preventive Measures
Before you start to take off your granite backsplash, you should make sure it is safe. Use a drop cloth to protect your kitchen countertops, floors, and cabinets from scratches and other potential damage. Drop cloths are ideal for this purpose, although cardboard or newspapers would serve in a pinch.
Apply masking tape to the edges of your cloth or newspaper to keep them from giving way. You don’t want to slip and fall.
To prevent electrocution, it is necessary to expose the outlets and switch off the power to the area. Your screwdriver may also be used to pry off the covers of other fixtures, like wall plates, from your granite backsplash.
3. Remove The Caulk
Remove the old caulking from the granite backsplash joint by cutting it out or scraping it off with a utility knife. Removing the caulk may protect your counter surface from chips and scratches.
4. Take Out The Tile With Your Putty Knife
Once the caulk is gone, work the putty knife blade between the seam of the granite backsplash and the wall. Ensure you carry this out carefully, as you could hurt yourself.
Afterward, pull the backsplash away from the wall using the putty knife and a hammer or mallet. Be careful not to damage the drywall.
The tile may be removed from the adhesive with this tool. Keep in mind that the open end of the backsplash is where your attention should be at this stage.
5. Remove The Granite
Continue until you have felt the putty knife relax a bit. Then, take it from the open end and place it in the gap between the wall and the backsplash’s top edge. This will help protect the wall from being damaged.
After that, use the hammer to lightly tap the putty knife handle, doing so cautiously. Do so until the granite backsplash becomes even looser.
7. Remove The Backsplash
To thoroughly release the glue, you must move your putty knife to different areas of your granite backsplash. Keep tapping on it with your hammer repeatedly. Once the granite backsplash has been loosened, it may be pried off entirely.
7. Lift The Adhesive
You’ve managed to get all the granite tiles off your walls, but there’s still work to be done. The dried glue, which may be rock hard or only partially flexible, still has to be removed. Use your putty knife and some muscle to scrape the rock-hard adhesive (probably thinset, which is made of cement) off your walls. In contrast, grit sandpaper will quickly remove the adhesive from your wall if it is not as strong as the cement-based product.
8. Smoothen It Out
You could gouge your walls if you try to chip off the glue too aggressively. If any gouging is done, the drywall should be patched with drywall patching compound.
A drywall joint compound can be used to patch paper holes. A 120-grit sandpaper can be used to smooth the wall after it has dried.
Conclusion
Just like that, you’ve got the tough backsplash off, and your raw kitchen is ready for any plan you may have. But it’s crucial to note that it’s hazardous to do it yourself. You can hire the services of a professional to make the required changes without causing damage.
