removing bathroom vanity top

is there a good way to remove a marble vanity top that is glued to the wall without damaging the wall? I've loosened the top from the vanity cabinet, but there's a 3/4" x 4" x 36" marble backsplash that is apparently glued to the wall and to the top of the vanity. I'd like to save it for re-installation on a new vanity base.

I have managed to squeeze a wallboard compound spreader behind the backsplash to break some of it free, inch by inch. But it is slow going. Am tempted to use a pry bar but I'm afraid I'll crack the marble.

I suspect the answer is obvious, but any suggestions short of proceeding to remove a section of the wallboard would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

Move the vanity a few inches from the wall and use something like this to cut the adhesive:

Be back shortly

 

I've always been able to get a splash off in one piece, except for full height splashes.

Use your flat bar over a stud area and gently pry it forward at an angle. Cut all the caulk, which can be difficult.
Pry it in a few places repeatedly if needed.

 

Try one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/General-Tools...20JAW21FP96WY1

As stated in my previous post, move the vanity a few inches away from the wall and cut the adhesive/caulk.

 

I appreciate your suggestion, but whatever it was you wanted me to look at didn't appear. (The link doesn't open).

As for moving the vanity a few inches away from the wall, unfortunately that won't work in my case. Apparently, the vanity itself was screwed and glued to the wall. I removed the screws, but heaven knows what kind of glue they put back there when they installed it. It is not a vanity of very much quality (which is one reason I want to replace it). My only hope there is to rip the thing apart and put in a new one.

The vanity top, however, is rather nice and I would very much like to save it....in one piece...and re-use it with a new vanity cabinet.

The other reply I received (from Handyone, the Forum Moderator) suggests that I am on the right track in continuing to gently pry the backsplash. He does say "pry in a few places," but it looks like I'll have to pry the entire 36" length. It is REALLY stuck on there. I've freed up about 8" so far. At this rate, I hope I'll finish by end of the year !

 

If you are planning to save the top and replace the vanity below, it might be easier to disassemble the vanity and then remove the splash. You can pull out the vanity piece by piece (face frame first)
and then pry off the splash from above and below.
I call it surgically removing a top and I've done it many times.

Don't make the same mistake when installing your new splash. A 36" splash only needs about 6 dabs of silicone to adhere it to the wall and enable it to be pulled off in the future.

 

A stiff metal putty knife at least 3" wide (my go to tool) shoved behind the backslash along the entire length will cut most of the adhesive. A caulk remover tool can be used to get the caulk where it meets the countertop out. Once you cut most of the glue off the back, then you can pry gently and it should roll forward from the top until you can pull it out. I use the metal putty knife as a safety feature so that I am not prying in a concentrated area on the splash. It will spread out the force over the width of the putty knife. So, insert putty knife, bend it forward and get your flat bar behind it at a stud and gently rock the pry bar.

 

Thanks very much. (And, thanks to the others who replied as well).

Your reply seems to be where I'm at with this project. I managed to free up a good portion of the backsplash (with minimal damage to the wall) by gently prying. Frustrating. But, I realize that the backsplash is permanently joined to the counter top, I can't take the chance of breaking that seal. The counter top has refused to budge. I've goven it fair warning that I'll call in the heavy artillery. I'm convinced that I've got to dismantle the vanity base and scrap it.

I'll support the counter top while working below it and then....hopefully....I'll be able to slide/squeeze/budge a new vanity in beneath the top. And, if that doesn't work, Plan B will be remove the countertop and backsplash ---- wallboard and all.

Thanks, again.