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