Cutting formica

[Cooler]

Are you sure it is not connected to the countertop, most were.  They were a separate piece that was screwed to the countertop.  Roly

It might.  I will find out when I remodel the kitchen.  I don't think there is any way to determine this without destroying part of the backsplash.

[Snipe Hunter]

I would take the whole thing off. Make a new backsplash out of particle board or reuse the one you have if it's in decent shape/. Glue your backsplash onto your laminate with contact cement and use a laminate trim router bit (has the bearing on the tip) and trim off the rest of the sheet of laminate. Do the same on the top and ends. It's really fast this way and it looks perfect.

If you have to do a butt joint between pieces, just match up the factory edges so you know they'll match up.

Buy the qt size contact cement can and use a small paint roller. Makes quick work of it. Let the 1st coat on the board dry completely, then apply another coat to it and the laminate to attach. Throw out the pan and roller.

[Roly]

I would take the whole thing off. Make a new backsplash out of particle board or reuse the one you have if it's in decent shape/. Glue your backsplash onto your laminate with contact cement and use a laminate trim router bit (has the bearing on the tip) and trim off the rest of the sheet of laminate. Do the same on the top and ends. It's really fast this way and it looks perfect.

If you have to do a butt joint between pieces, just match up the factory edges so you know they'll match up.

Buy the qt size contact cement can and use a small paint roller. Makes quick work of it. Let the 1st coat on the board dry completely, then apply another coat to it and the laminate to attach. Throw out the pan and roller.

When that was the style I built them like Snipe said.  In addition I glued a strip of 1/4"x 3/4" tall wood around the outside edge for the top and ends so it would be 1" thick before laminating it so it was easy to scribe to the wall with a belt sander.  You may encounter something like this also.   Roly

[MstrCarpenter]

I've installed many countertops and backsplashes "the old way"; custom plastic laminate constructed on site. After the backsplashes were covered they were run thru the table saw with a slight bevel on the bottom. We used sticks from the upper cabinets and/or ceiling to hold them in place while the construction adhesive on the back and bead of G.E. silicone on the bottom cured. We all know the construction adhesive will take some of the wall out during removal. However the problem you may encounter is no matter what you try, the G.E. silicone will yield to neither the backsplash nor countertop laminate. (This is when you swear and start shopping for a new countertop.) I would start by driving a 6" drywall knife down behind the backsplash to cut the glue along the entire length before slowly and gently attempting to pry it up and out. If it doesn't come out easily, I suggest removing the laminate with lacquer thinner to glue up a new backsplash. The old substrate will be sacrificed to save the countertop. Even if it was screwed from the bottom, you can still save the top and install a matching (albeit, slightly shorter) backsplash.

[Cooler]

I've read that silicone sealants can withstand heat up to about 200 degrees F. 

So could you use a heat gun to heat up a 5" wide drywall joint knife and slip it between the wall and the backsplash. 

I'm going to try that to remove the backsplash from my bathroom vanity.

[chizlr40]

Thanks that idea might work I keep thinking of holding the saw vertically

[Cooler]

Just note that very often these drywall blades are made from spring steel.  If you heat it to close to 500 degrees you can end up with a very soft blade as it will start to become annealed. 



If the blade starts changing color, it is getting in the annealing range.



Once it turns red you are up near 900 degrees F.






I don't understand why the image comes up in preview but not in the post.  I am using "image link" in the image posting form.

[Snipe Hunter]

I'd probably cut out the backsplash, drywall and all. Replace the drywall' and backsplash. Would be much faster. It's not like the drywall will look good behind the old backsplash anyway.