Removing a Glued Kitchen Sink | Step-by-Step Guide

Removing a glued kitchen sink without breaking it is a challenge. Undoubtedly most of the house owners, especially those moving into a new apartment, suffer while replacing the glued under-mount kitchen sink. Undermount sinks are particularly more difficult to install and remove as compared to drop-in variants. Removing undermount sink from granite, therefore is a much more tedious DIY task than drop-in variants. Check under-mount sinks vs. drop-in sinks for more differences. Generally, the heavy sinks are installed into granite or marble slabs using adhesives such as latex or oil-based caulk. Though the adhesives are not very tough or durable yet they keep the sink well-fixed with firmness. 

Chances are high that while figuring out how to remove a glued sink, one might end up breaking either the slab or the sink, which only increases the burden of repairs on your pockets. Furthermore, the sharp pieces of broken ceramic or slab pieces could be sharper than razors to handle. So how to remove an under-mount sink without causing any casualties or damage to the interiors? Rest assured, it is possible. This detailed article would guide you thoroughly.

What You’ll Need for Removing A Glued Kitchen Sink Without Breaking It? 

• Adjustable wrenches
• Small bucket
• Screwdriver
• Pipe wrench
• Hammer
• Work gloves
• Putty knife
• A piece of cloth
• Heat gun or hairdryer

How to Easily Remove Your Glued Sink 

To prevent any injuries follow these steps of caution:

• Disconnecting all supply lines and waste lines before beginning to work is important
• Wear eye protection and work gloves
• Keep kids and pets away from the place of work 
• Cover the floorings and laminations with a cloth to prevent scratches. 

Step1: Get Your Kitchen Space Ready For The Basin Removal

In continuation with the precautions mentioned above for your safety, preparing your kitchen space for the removal procedure is more important than you can imagine. You are required to shut all the electrical appliances off, if possible- turn the power supply off to the kitchen until you’re done. 

Place all the fragile and volatile materials away. Disconnect the tapware, knobs, lightings, and whatever supply lines or materials are near the basin area. Turn the gas and water supply off. Keep all the heavy appliances at a distance. 

Remember not to hoard the area with suffocating items or anything that might restrict your movement. You need a free space to work in where you can move forward or backward as the situation demands without causing any causalities. 

It is still better if all the fittings, especially the plumbing fixtures are removed and placed away securely. As we have mentioned above, you can spread a cloth over the flooring to avoid tearing or ripping it off while removing the sink. 

Step 2: Disconnect The Waste Lines 

Once you have turned the supply lines off and have cleared the space for working, remove the garbage disposal and dishwasher. These are mostly fitted closer to the sink area for convenience in conducting all the cleaning action in one corner of your kitchen. You can simply unplug the dishwasher and garbage disposal sets and move them to a safer spot inside your kitchen. 

The disconnecting and displacing guidelines for varying models of dishwasher and garbage disposal could be different. Therefore, we recommend you look for the user manual provided by the manufacturer in finding the right way to displace or disconnect without damaging the appliance. 

Added to this equipment, if there is anything else that might hit the sides of your basin while removing or might come your way while stepping back, get that off! Keep the countertop clear of any fragile items. 

Step 3: Shut Off The Drain Line And Remove The Duct  

Pick up an adjustable wrench from your toolbox and turn off the drain pipe and supply lines to the basin. You need to turn the wrench counterclockwise to get the drain line off. Clear the drainpipe of any water in it. You can place a bucket and lower the drain pipe into it for easier and less messy cleaning up. 

Keep the bucket under the sink to let any excess water runoff. Once the water is clear and is no longer pouring, remove the bucket and place it at a distance from yourself. Check out the p-trap pipes under the under-mount sink and remove any sink remnant that gets in the way. Clog the drain channel using a strainer block. 

Step 4: Dismount The Faucet

The aforementioned steps are imperative early steps to remove an under-mount sink. You may choose to skip the step in case the faucet is attached to the base of the slab and not the glued sink exactly. Depending on the model you’re working with or for relatively safer removal of the under-mount sink from granite slabs.

Turn the water supply off and disconnect the supply lines carefully. Maintain caution to not damage the tail of the faucet or the waterlines while removing. Keep the spigot on to release any air pressure developing in the faucet lines.  This will make the removal much easier. Loosen the nuts and nails fitting the faucet to its base and get it off. 

Step 5: Losing The Under-Mount Sink For Removal

Locate the pins and clips that affix the sink to the granite or the marble slab. Rotate the screws counterclockwise using a screwdriver. The sink will loosen, depending on the adhesive used to fix it, and the process would make it easier for you to remove it. Pick up the utility knife and plunge it along the line where the sink and the granite counter are in touch. Stay careful not to break anything there. Take your time and do it without haste.

In case if the sink is fixed using liquid nails, you would require an additional force while removing the under-mount sink. Try to soften the adhesives or the dried liquid nails with a blow drier or heat gun. The glue would begin to melt. Now scrape it off utilizing a putty knife. Wipe the surface and there the under-mount sink to ready to be removed. 

Step 6: Remove The Sink 

After all the nuts and adhesives are off the glued sink, remove the under-mount sink epoxy. Get the support and stands off the underneath of the sink carefully. Don’t break the basin. Ask someone to assist you if the sink is heavy and it gets difficult for you to remove it off the frame. After removing the glued sink, clean the frame off any remaining glue, old adhesive, fine debris, or dust. If you are planning to replace the under-mount sink, clean the area and make it ready for the new addition. You may as well reuse your sink after modifications to your counter or you might consider

That’s It! 

We hope this article was worth the read and you can now remove the glued under-mount sink off the slab without much hassle. Stay careful and safe.