How to Remove Granite Backsplash

Looking for a change in scenery inside your home? Not digging some of the choices made by the previous owners of your new home? Whatever it is, you may be in for a difficult time as a DIYer. Professionally installed kitchen countertops and backsplashes are known to be quite durable. Removing and replacing them will require some serious effort.

Follow these steps to carefully remove your granite backsplash for your own DIY project at home.

Things You’ll Be Needing

Here are all the tools that you’ll need to start removing your granite backsplash.

• Drop cloth
• Safety goggles
• Leather or suede work gloves
• Manual or rotary grout remover
• Rubber mallet or hammer

Before you begin, make sure that you have someone to help you lift the granite once it’s loosened. Granite can be quite heavy and might cause damage to your countertop, floors, or cause injury if you can’t lift it properly.

Second, make sure that you wear proper protective equipment. Wear a long-sleeved shirt and safety gloves while working with sharp tools.

Lastly, remember to work carefully. Rushing things will only be doing more harm than good.

How to Remove Granite Backsplash from Granite Countertop

Now that we’ve gotten all the preparations and tools out of the way, it’s time to start removing existing granite backsplash from your walls. Make sure you follow the following instructions carefully for an efficient removal.

Make Sure Your Surfaces are Protected

Before you get started, make sure all of your surfaces are protected. That means covering up your floors, cabinets, and especially your countertop surfaces to make sure they don’t suffer any damage from bumps and scratches.

Cover the entire surface of your countertop with a drop cloth. Make sure you cover the surrounding floor area and cabinets with a cloth too. If you don’t have spare pieces of cloth, you can make do with old newspapers or pieces of cardboard. Just make sure all high-risk areas are covered and protected.

Tape the edges of the newspaper or cloth. Make sure they are secured in place and won’t move around when you touch or walk on them. This will make sure that you eliminate any risks of falling or slipping.

Stripping the Caulking

Grab the utility knife. Using the knife, slowly cut away the old caulking used on the backsplash joint. Cut both the top and bottom edges throughout the entire backsplash to expose the edges of the backsplash. Be careful when doing this, however. You wouldn’t want to cause damage to your countertops, do you?

Removing the Granite Backsplash

Since you’ve already managed to remove the caulking, set aside the utility knife for now and get the putty knife. Carefully slide the blade of your putty knife in between the seam where the granite backsplash meets the wall that it’s covering.

Start gently prying away the backsplash from the wall. If the adhesives that were used aren’t too strong, then it shouldn’t take much effort to remove the backsplash. Once you’ve felt that the backsplash has loosened up a bit, remove the putty knife and start prying away at other areas as well.

Repeat this process until you’ve separated the rest of the backsplash from the wall. Move and slide your putty knife along the length of the backsplash to make sure that all the adhesive that’s keeping it glued to the wall has been removed. Once that’s done, you can pull and remove the backsplash from your wall.

That’s it. You’ve successfully removed your granite backsplash from your wall.

Working on Stubborn Backsplashes

Not all granite backsplashes go down easily without a fight. If things aren’t going as smoothly as you’d hoped with your granite backsplash continuing to hold on for dear life on your wall, it’s time to use additional force.

Once you’re done removing the caulking, grab the putty knife and your hammer/mallet. Carefully slide the blade of your putty knife between the granite backsplash and the wall. Using the hammer, tap the handle of the putty knife gently. Slowly chip away at the adhesive holding down the backsplash to the wall. Be careful not to tap the handle too hard so you don’t damage your wall.

Continue tapping on the handle to drive the putty knife in until you feel the adhesives loosening. Once that part of the backsplash has loosened up, remove the putty knife and reinsert it between another part of the backsplash. Give the handle enough taps with your hammer to loosen up the adhesive between the backsplash and wall.

Keep going along the length of the backsplash and repeat the same process until the entirety of it has been freed from the wall. With everything loose, you can now pry away the backsplash completely.

Looking for a new backsplash? Take a look at this fantastic-looking granite one. We’re sure you’ll love it.

See the project

Professional Help with Granite Backsplash Removal

There are many things at home that you can do on your own. In fact, performing a DIY project at home can be quite enjoyable and fulfilling. But when the task seems too daunting, you might the help of a professional.

That’s where we come in.

If you live in the Chicagoland area and you’d prefer to leave the work to the professionals, leave it to us. Granite Selection is on the job.
Granite Selection is a manufacturer and installer of stone countertops for kitchens, bathrooms, and any other type of surface. We are located in Elk Grove Village, IL and we provide service to anyone within a 70-mile radius in the Chicagoland area.

Need help removing your granite backsplash and installing a new one from another stone? Call us now for a free consultation at (888) 906 3317 and we’ll be happy to assist you.