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Counter Top Installation Day: Demolition Men!!!

ByArtistic Stone Kitchen And Bath Design Experts

Talk about a Dusty and Dirty job.  We should on be on “Dirty Jobs” on the Discovery Channel.  Demolition of the counters is exciting because it is the start of the  install process.  Demolition as you can see in the pictures is not a pretty sight.

Granite, Marble, Limestone, or Travertine (Natural Stone):

Granite removal is the hardest because glue bonds tightly to the plywood and sometimes does not come out as a whole piece. The other natural stones, marble, limestone and travertine are easier to break but no the glue binds equally hard to the surface.  The easiest time to remove stone is with the first 24 to 48 hours of the install because the glue has not fully bonded to the plywood deck.

Tile Counters:

Tile demolition challenges depend on whether it was installed on cement board or floated on cement.  Either way it is challenging.  In the idea world, our teams will remove entire tile sections at once. However, construction is unpredictable because we do no know what the other person did before us.

Solid Surface (Corian, Hi-Macs, Acylic( Cultured marble)

Solid surface such as Corian or acyclic is easier but not routine. The material is often broken into pieces prior to removal.

Laminate Counters:

Laminate counters is the easiest removal but can have surprises also.

Overview:

  • Clear all the counters tops and backsplash area before Artistic Stone’s teams arrive.
  • Remove all the items in the lower cabinets.
  • Take down all pictures or memorabilia adjacents walls. (Vibration from demoltion will knock things down.)
  • Remove furniture, televisions or valuable which may be knocked over.

If you are replacing the backsplash, we will repair the drywall before  setting tile.  This way, we can get things as level the walls as much as possible.  It is also a code requirement.

What to expect?:

  • Noise from hammering and cutting.  We use hammers, crowbars and a reciprocating saw.
  • Walls shaking.
  • Dust staying airborne for 1 to 2 weeks.

How long will tile removal take?

It depends on your total surface area.  A normal removal will take about 1 to 3 hours.  A large demolition will take a full day.