The degree of difficulty required to take down a laminate backsplash depends on the installation technique used.
Removing vinyl backsplash.
Simply roll the self adhesive vinyl film on with pointers from these crafty bloggers and the slick finish of the removable backsplash means cleanup never feels like a chore.
For semi soft adhesive mastic use 120 grit sandpaper to remove it from the wall.
Fill drywall gouges with drywall joint compound and sand it smooth.
A tile backsplash adheres to drywall using an adhesive and grout.
The laminate will break free.
If the laminate is attached to the wall with construction adhesive or glue you have to work hard to pry the backsplash away from the wall.
Insert a putty knife in the laminate backsplash.
This is where those small chisels will come in handy.
If it was glued to the counter top and wall would be hard to remove.
Use a hammer to tap the knife into the laminate backsplash and force the backsplash to separate from the wall.
To remove thinset use a stiff putty knife and some elbow grease to scrape it from the wall.
A lot of people just tile above the short backsplash rather than try to remove it.
Once the tile is down take a 5 in 1 tool and scrapper to remove any excess grout.
With proper care in the removal process you can keep the old tiles to reuse later or sell and limit the amount of damage to the drywall.
One tip to removing backsplash tile is to go in on an angle so that you do not go directly into the drywall.
Beginning at the outside edge heat the tile with a blow dryer and when the glue softens up some insert the edge of a putty knife under the tile and lift until you can grab it and pull it away from the wall.
Breaking up the grout will allow the tiles to loosen.
With the removal of the one tile keep going under the surrounding tiles gently popping the tile from the wall by prying it from the wall using the scraper and hammer.
This can also be done with the addition of a light sander using fine grade sandpaper.
Continue heating and pulling until it is all removed.
The use a stiff putty knife and small prybar the pry the backsplash off the wall.
If just the wall first use a knife and cut through the caulk between the backsplash ans counter.
Removing a backsplash may not be as easy as it sounds.
How to remove kitchen backsplash easily.
Once dried these substances become hard and brittle requiring the use of certain tools and procedures to remove them easily from the drywall.