Now faced with another job of replacing a laminate backsplash with tile I began to wonder how y’all remove these things. This time it was easier than the first but the method was basically the same – brute force and little skill. Is there an easier way?
Thanks,
dlb
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The undisciplined life is not worth examining.
Replies
Is there an easier way?...
How the backsplash is attach to the top? It is or not? You have to remove the countertop? Is the backsplash behind the top or in top of the top? Full backsplash or half?
....an easier way from?
..EZ Dino.
How the backsplash is attach to the top? - it is attached to the wall only
It is or not? You have to remove the countertop? tops are going also
Is the backsplash behind the top or in top of the top? behind
Full backsplash or half? full
You have me sitting on the edge of my chair awaiting an answer!!The undisciplined life is not worth examining.
If the top is going to, where is the problem?
The Ez way. use a saw-zaw and cut the top in half.
Then pull the top with few small upstrokes. The few small screws they will strip.
For the backsplash,try first to use a tape knife behind and pull it off.
If the laminate is braking off in small pieces, use a heat gun and tape knife the same time. If you have some help it will be EZier.
For the sink,Disconnect the supply and waste and pull the sink of with the top.
If the sink is to heavy or to dip remove the sink first.
The whole job is EZier that you think.
Just do it.
Good luck
Is it laminate glued directly to the wall? Maybe with a little metal trim on three (or four) sides?
I usually slip a putty knife behind one corner and pry it open enough to squirt a little lacquer thinner behind there, sliding the knife along, squirting, gently pulling, until it pops off. Same thing if you ever have to remove plastic laminate from a countertop (like if you realize you left a venetian blind slat under there after you started rolling it - of course, I've never made such a mistake myself, but I've heard...oh cripes, I've done that more than once and had to pull laminate up off a deck for a variety of other boneheaded mistakes too)
Laquer thinner. The plastic laminate installer's best friend.
Jim, I can give you four miles of long old ven blinds when you visit. Please!Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I'll take 'em! They're getting hard to come by and a lot of mine are bent so they break easilly...what a frikkin' Laurel and Hardy lookin' operation it is when I do a top. I get a grin just thinkin' about it.
Alright! They'll be on the hoof in NW Oh. You say how many and how long. Glad to get em to a good home. My buddy wolfgang remembered hearing me say.............boy are those getting scarce..........his son dropped off 7/8 commercial showroom window's worth. That's a lotta venetians. Nice old style wide..........you'll love em. Need them long for an island or around that peninsula corner...........no problemo!Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I've always used steel welding rod...works great!
I'm not real handy with metal working, Dez. When you say welding rod, I picture those 12" rods we learned to weld with in the 70s. Is that what you mean, or do you mean brazing rods? Or something else?
Jim,
I was referring to the steel rod you use for oxy-acetaline welding. There is also solid brass for brazing. (no flux on the ones I get) The rods are like 30-36" long (never actually measured one) and come in dia. as small as maybe a 1/16" up to maybe a 1/4". The ones I like for laminate are copper coated steel or solid brass, and an 1/8" or better in dia. I have an outfit and weld once in a while, so they are always handy and they work great.
Dez
Thanks, Dez. I'll keep those in mind next time I'm stuck out in the boonies doing a top without half the stuff I need and have to scrounge something up. Dowells work great too.
A couple years ago someone posted a technique for making tight seams by using dowells paralell to, and about 8" back from each side of the seam, rolling the rest of the top, touching the seam down tight between the dowells, removing dowells, then rolling small bubble left by dowells towards the seam to tighten it up. Works, but as you can guess, you only get one shot.
Anyway, I always try to have a handfull of 5/8" dowells in the truck when I do laminate work. Switched over to water based contact cement several years ago. Can't imagine why anyone would use solvent based. That stuff is TOXIC.
Yeah but...ahhh...the buzz! No seriously Jim, does the water based stuff work as well, you think? (never tried it) I am 'old school' I guess, and don't have a lot of confidence with the water based products we have in abundance these days.
I guess I'm just hard headed! I think...okay, I'm going to put this product in an area where it will be susceptible to water infiltration or at least contact, and it's water based! Will it be resistant? Then I go to the old school way.
I will always pick an oil based stain over H20 based, same with finishes. Just seems like they are more forgiving and easier to get the premium results. But then you got the thinner thing, and the clean-up thing, and the fumes thing. But I don't mind that stuff, if I get the results I want.
I dread the day when we no longer have a choice! Guess I'll just throw in the towel when that time comes.
Re: butt joints on laminate, do you have some secrets to share? I always try to avoid any joints when possible, and I think I've only done a hand full in my life. I sort of developed my own technique...but never been able to make them totally invisible. Any tips you have would be appreciated.
Dez
"No seriously Jim, does the water based stuff work as well, you think?"
Absolutely, positively, without question. (but it doesn't grip as well to paint - like when gluing a backsplash directly to the wall). And, I can't say I've had the courage to try it when going over an old top, either. I use Wolf Grip in a pressurized tank for that.
But for a new top? Over a standard substrate like particle board or AC plywood? Works great. Rolls on like a thin pva primer. Very easy to work with. Been using it since the mid 80s when I killed a lady's parakeet with solvent based contact cement. Felt terrible enough to try this "new fangled stuff".
Here's one thing you'll find - it's like twice as expensive as solvent based, right? But you use way less because it goes on so smooth. I bet it ends up costing less per square foot of laminate.
But. I will admit. It DOES take a little longer to dry. That's the reason a buddy of mine won't switch to it. But to be honest, that's never been an issue for me. 60 degrees, it dries in no more than 1/2 hour.
Good stuff. Give it a try. I really like the 3M neoprene green stuff.
But I gotta be honest. When I'm prefabbing a top here at the shop? I spray with that Wolf Grip. Unreal. Dries in...oh heck...maybe 1 minute? And it is so danged easy to spray and forget about it, virtually zero cleanup because the tank is pressurized. I have heard they even have a non-toxic version now. But I still have several pounds in my tank so I won't be switching anytime soon.
Seams? Invisible? Every once in a while I get one I'm kind of proud of. But I can't say I ever made one disappear. Start a thread. I bet there's lots of people here with plam stories and techniques. Show me someone who never messed up a plam job and I'll show you someone who hasn't laid much of the stuff.
Thanks Jim,
I guess I'm not the 'only one' then!
Peace
JimWaterborn is great and as far as I know, (maybe 10 yrs.) have had no problems with delamination or anything else.I certainly like the lack of toxicity. Don't appreciate that kind of rush anymore,It is slow to set. Maybe my stuff is getting old, but if the temps are anywhere 60 F. it seems to take an hour or so to set up. This can be very frustrating if your day is closing in on 4pm and you're tired and you still have to install the sink and taps.alan