Backsplash and 4" Granite Removal
by
Cncnc
2 Materials
$1250
2 Weeks
Medium
I researched every post I could find about removing backsplash and the 4" granite piece too. I didn't come across very many photos of the 4" granite part, so we were undecided about doing that. Once we decided on the backsplash we wanted I knew we had to take that granite piece off or I wouldn't be happy with the work involved in replacing the current backsplash. We did the demo work and hired a local company A-Team Flooring to install the backsplash.
I brought many samples of backsplash home trying to find one that would compliment the venetian gold granite we have. It felt like what we already had was busy and competed with the granite. I wanted a backsplash that had a little bit of a glossy look and the polished tiles look great. We chose a basket weave and pencil tile from the same tile manufacturer Bella Casa.
The backsplash is https://www.bellacasatilecollection.com/product/0013-crema-crema-marfil-3x6-beveled-polished/
Demo for the small mosaic backsplash was tedious. We used a chisel and mallet and had to go slowly chipping away at it. Most of it came off in small pieces. There was minor damage to the drywall, in a few places the tile installers patched it. With the 4" granite piece on the wall our biggest concern was it cracking our granite countertop it rested on and also worried about there being a large gap between the wall and countertop that the granite backsplash was covering. We started by scoring the silicone on top of the granite piece and then along the bottom. After tapping the chisel behind to loosen the glue the granite piece started to come forward and popped free! Yay! Relief! All of it came off pretty easy except for the long piece that ran behind our sink. We used the chisel and mallet and cracked the 4" granite piece about half way on the front of it and were able to free it in smaller sections. There was a few places that had uneven cuts between the countertop and wall. The tile installer used mortar to build the drywall out to fill the gap. You can't tell once the backsplash tile was installed over the wall.
We decided to have the backsplash trimmed in pencil tile for the edges, since we were using it to go around the basket weave design behind the stove. We also used it around the bottom of the kitchen window sill, we feel it gives a nice finish and didn't require tons of cuts to place it against the window frame. It gave a nice edge where the tile we chose was beveled.
You may notice we made a few other changes in the kitchen - those are for another post :)
Before
Before we had a very busy backsplash that didn't work for us.
Before
Be
During
We used a razor knife to score the grout at the edge of the backsplash, then used a chisel and mallet to tap at an angle and chipped away at the old backsplash.
During
We scored the silicone on top of the 4" granite and also along the bottom where it touched the granite countertop. Then used the chisel and mallet to lightly hammer along the top edge of the 4" granite. We slowly wedged the chisel down and pried it forward until it gave and it popped free.
During - The old backsplash is gone!
Some of the white covering on the drywall came off but it was not damaged to where we had to replace it.
During
Pencil tile trimmed around window sill gives a nice finish.
During, before we painted the drywall buildup
Basket weave with pencil trim behind the range.
After
We are thrilled with how it turned out. These images were taken with my canon and the color is different then the photos taken with my iPhone.
After
We are thrilled with how it turned out. These images were taken with my canon and the color is different then the photos taken with my iPhone.
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Comments
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3 of 91 comments
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I have the same granite with cherry cabinetry. I’m still trying to talk my husband into letting me get a new backsplash. It’s a mosaic pattern that is too busy. So far no luck.
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I think the white door ruins it all. I would paint it
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Yesssss !! Try painting it same color as wall
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Did you seal where the tile & the counter top meet? I want to remove my 4” granite but my husband is afraid to.
Much better...I have always disliked the 4" granite backsplash...it looks like the countertop is crawling up the wall. Just curious why you used the upper cabinets as a guide where to end the backsplash, instead of the countertop? I have seen it done both ways and wondered if there is a "rule".
When you remove that upper 4 inch piece is the granite cut evenly? Could there actually be a large gap around the countertop? Afraid to do so because of this.