How to remove wooden kitchen countertops

Wooden countertops in your kitchen are quite an attractive feature.  They do, however, need replacing now and then.  The good news is that this need not be a job for the pros.  Save money on your kitchen renovation by removing your wooden kitchen countertops yourself.  Follow these simple steps and you’ll be well on your way to a brand new kitchen in no time:

Shut off the water
You don’t want water all over your kitchen so make sure you turn off the water before you begin.  Turn the taps on (both hot and cold) to empty the water lines.


Disconnect drains and fixtures

Disconnect all drains, taps and any other fixtures.  Have a bucket handy to catch any water that may still be in the drain.

Remove the sink and other features
If you have a garbage disposal, make sure that it has been unplugged before you remove it.  Depending on the type of sink you have (undermount or drop-in), you will need to follow slightly different removal procedures.

Remove the countertops
Once you have everything removed, you can go ahead and remove the countertops.  In many cases they are held on by threaded fasteners which are easy enough to undo.  In other cases, if the countertops are relatively small, they might be held on by glue.  If this is the case, or if the years of use has them firmly in place, you can use a pry bar to separate the countertops from the cabinets.