How To Safely Remove An Old Glass Splashback

Posted on: 23 May 2016

A glass splashback fitted behind your cooker hob adds beauty as well as practicality to your room.  Although glass splashbacks are very durable and long-lasting, there are so many stunning new designs emerging, you might decide to replace your old one.  If you decide to fit your own replacement, you'll first need to remove the old one.  Here are some useful tips on how to do it.

What you'll need

  • wire cheese cutter
  • rubber hammer
  • chisel
  • plastic bin liner
  • eye protection
  • gloves

You can obtain everything you'll need for this job from good DIY stores.  If possible, recruit someone to help you; if the splashback comes off in one piece, you'll need an extra pair of hands to support it.

How to do it

Before you begin, make sure that you're wearing suitable eye protection and thick gloves.  Although glass splashbacks are usually made from toughened or tempered glass that shouldn't shatter, there's always the chance that a fragment of debris could injure you.

  1. First of all, place a bin bag underneath the splashback to protect your cooker hob.  Make sure that the hob is completely covered, and if necessary, use more than one bag.  
  2. Begin by using the wire cheese cutter to slice through the silicone sealant that affixes the glass splashback to the wall.  To do this, start at one top corner of the splashback and slowly draw the wire diagonally downwards, applying a firm, steady pressure as you go.  
  3. When you reach the centre of the splashback, begin the process again from the opposite upper corner.  
  4. When the two cuts meet, use a chisel to gradually prise the splashback off the wall into the hands of your helper.  
  5. If the splashback is fixed solid and the cheese cutter won't cut through the adhesive, you'll have to break the splashback up to remove it.  Take a rubber hammer and use it to bash the splashback, starting from the edges and working inwards towards the centre.  Tempered glass should just gradually crumble into little chunks.  
  6. When you're left with a smaller piece of glass stuck to the wall, you should be able to prise it off using your chisel.  
  7. Finish off the job by gathering up the debris into a parcel with the bin bags and disposing of it.

In conclusion

When it's time to replace your old glass splashback with a smart new one, you can follow the tips given above to remove it safely and easily.  It's worth noting that many glass splashback suppliers will also remove your old splashback and fit the new one for you, so this could be an option if you don't fancy taking on the job yourself.

Share