| When you live in old house like I do, remodeling is | | | | nightmare. Not only werethe plaster walls full of holes |
| always a challenge and a surprise. I am currently | | | | from the nails, big globs of glue was smeared all |
| involved in a major kitchen remodel. Our kitchen like | | | | overthe walls. At first I tried sanding. All that did was |
| many kitchens, has seen better days. It was installed in | | | | create a cloud of dust. After twohours of creating |
| the house was built back in 1945 and I'm sure it's has | | | | dust clouds I had only managed in clearing off a 2' x 2' |
| served its previous owners well. However, modern | | | | squarearea. I talked to a number of contractors who |
| kitchens are large and open. This kitchen, like most | | | | only shook their heads and offered meluck in removing |
| kitchens of its era, a small enclosed off. We decided to | | | | the glue from the walls. Someone suggested I use glue |
| open the kitchen out by removing part of the wall, | | | | removerbut I didn't want the fumes in the house. |
| removing old tile from the walls, and updating the entire | | | | Someone else suggested a strong scraperbut I wasn't |
| kitchen with new cabinets and appliances. | | | | strong enough to remove this glue. Finally, someone |
| Our first surprise came when we moved the | | | | suggested a heatgun. I was skeptical. How would a |
| refrigerator from its current location. | | | | little heat gun remove 60 years of hard and glue? |
| The refrigerator sat up on a platform about 1 inch off | | | | Much to my surprise, it worked! Now it didn't work |
| the kitchen floor. We nevergave it much thought and | | | | easily. It was still a lot of hardwork, but by working |
| assumed that it had always been like that. When I | | | | slowly, and steadily, I was able to remove all remnants |
| movethe refrigerator and lifted up the old flooring, I | | | | of gluein about four days. |
| discovered why. Plumbing from thesink did not go | | | | I hope this tip and technique helps you if you ever |
| through the floor to join a drain pipe in the basement. It | | | | encounter a similar situation. Iknow what I first started |
| did,however, run across the floor and under the | | | | removing the glue from the wall, I would get |
| refrigerator. This required some majorengineering to | | | | discouragedthinking it would never end. However, by |
| move the drain line for the new sink and dishwasher. | | | | working slowly and steadily, I managed toget a little bit |
| Surprise number two was the ceramic tile on the walls. | | | | done each and every hour. I took frequent breaks, and |
| The ceramic tile wound upnot being ceramic tile at all! It | | | | went outsidefor a breather every couple of hours. It |
| was tin tile that was glued to a masonite backingboard. | | | | didn't help that I was doing this in themiddle of summer |
| The backing board was itself glued to the plaster walls | | | | when the temperature was in the 90s. However |
| and nailed every eightto 10 inches. So while the tiles | | | | withperseverance, this task can be finished easily. And |
| came down very easily using just a screwdriver,getting | | | | if you do it yourself, you'll saveall the money that you |
| they masonite backing board off the plaster was a | | | | would pay contractor to do the exact same thing. |