Removing Old Laminate Backsplash

Removing an old laminate backsplash isn't easy (or that fun) but it can be done and it is worth it! We've been working on it in little bits so it has taken us a while - so far, we've removed the upper cabinets, removed the backsplash, chipped away the glue, built the wall back up smooth with spackle and primed it. Next we'll be painting and putting up shelves.
Before
Taking down the cabinets
Cabinets gone, laminate backsplash is next!
Glue left behind - white spots are where the wall ripped off with the laminate.
Spackled back up (this was by far the most tedious part since it isn't just demo anymore) and primed!
Crystal - 29 Rue House
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • Kimber Ross Kimber Ross on Feb 23, 2016
    Can I ask about the age of your house/what the walls were made of? Our house is about 100 years and we know the original horsehair plaster is behind the laminate. We want to get rid of the laminate but are afraid that if we take down the cabinets and pull the laminate off we will tear up THREE of our kitchen walls ... and end up with a bigger mess than we have the time or budget to fix. We're debating taking the easier route of covering the laminate up with something... :/
  • KrisAnn Bennett KrisAnn Bennett on Sep 16, 2017

    Thanks so much for this post! Only one I've found on this.


    Does anyone have laminate backsplash that is a continuation of the counter top? Mine is and I have some corners where pieces of laminate edging have come off. I have to do something soon as I just can't stand it any more.

  • Schwarzy Schwarzy on May 17, 2018

    Once you removed the backsplash, how did you deal with the glue? Did you just spackle over it?

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  • Crystal - 29 Rue House Crystal - 29 Rue House on Feb 23, 2016
    Hi Kimber! Our house was built in the 1950s with what we believe is rock lathe. It is not plaster nor sheetrock. The walls actually have this wire mesh in them (so weird but it is there! - it makes any drilling into the wall a pain and destroys a lot of bits) and then they slathered them up with some kind of plaster/mud. It was a mess!!!! and put took chunks out of the wall BUT several years later and I still LOVE the flat finish without the old laminate!! Definitely worth it and really updated the kitchen. We just left the walls smooth and then put shelves where the cabinets use to be. The kitchen was a mess because you have to sand between layers. I'd say it is a really inexpensive project (just mud, tools to apply it and you're own labor), however, if we had needed to actually demo out the old wall (because removing the laminate destroyed it too much) and replace it with sheetrock that would have cost a lot more and definitely been more work). I've attached a photo from after we added the shelves and a new laminate countertop. We've since put down peel and stick tiles on the floor (checkered gray and white marble) and painted all the cabinets black with brass/gold hardware.
  • Toni Toni on Oct 25, 2016
    Hi Crystal, thank you so much for your post....I truly needed it. I love the pics you posted re: removing the laminate backsplash. We recently moved into our house and we are trying to do the same. The cabinets and counter tops are still in excellent conditions, but since we needed to update the kitchen on a slim, slim budget we decided to sacrifice. What solution did you use to loosen the glue on the back of the backsplash?
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