remove countertops

One of the most cost-effective ways to renovate your home is to “do it yourself.” From sanding and painting to digging and planting, there are many projects that a determined homeowner can undertake. There are some jobs, however, that are best left to the professionals. These jobs are too heavy, labor-intensive, or require specialized tools and skills.

Case in point: installing new granite countertops. The weight of the granite alone is enough to send anyone running to a phone for professional help. If you have new countertops on the way complete with labor, you’re probably thinking about taking the day off. But don’t put down your tools just yet. There is a way to cut costs on this otherwise expensive project: by doing the demo work yourself. Some contractors charge as much as $550 to remove old countertops, a relatively easy job that even the most inexperienced handyman can handle.

First, remove all the drawers from your cabinets. This makes it much easier to access your work area. You will also need to remove the contents of your cabinets so that you can get under them to work. Fortunately, these are things you’ll need to do before your new counters are installed anyway, so you’re already ahead of the game.

Your old sink will also need to be removed. To do this, simply separate the pipe from the drains and the tap (don’t forget to turn off the water supply) and remove the fasteners from the bottom of the sink. There will be some caulking around the edge of the sink, but it should lift off the counter easily.

If you look at your existing laminate countertops, you’ll see that they are in sections. Each section is attached to the cabinet base using screws drilled through the underside of the counter. The next step in removing old countertops is to remove all of these screws. This requires crouching on the floor and inside cabinets at all kinds of awkward angles. Fortunately, an electric screwdriver can speed up this process (although a manual screwdriver may still be needed for those hard-to-reach angles).

Next, remove the sealant from the edge of the backsplash. You can use a putty knife or screwdriver to do this. Take care to remove as much as you can of any surface you plan to save, so that when you remove the counters, you don’t damage the wall.

Before attempting to remove countertops, make sure you have removed any outlet covers that may be attached to the backsplash. Also, keep in mind that there may be some glue attached to the backsplash to the wall, which requires a bit more effort to remove.

Finally, you are ready to remove the old counters. Have someone help you with lifting and removal. If you are having trouble removing a section, double check that all screws have been removed. If the backsplash adhesive is giving you trouble, try sliding a putty knife behind the backsplash to break the bond.

Now your old countertops are gone, your kitchen is ready for the new ones, and you’ve saved yourself a bit of money. Now, all that’s left to do is watch the pros get to work.