Depends how the counter is mounted to the cabinets.

Best case scenario, the counter is glued to plywood, and the plywood is affixed to the cabinets with screws from below, in which case you can unscrew the plywood from below and the counters & plywood will come right up. Mine are installed like this.

However, if the counter is glued directly to the cabs, or if the plywood is screwed into the cabs from above, then it's far more difficult to disassemble.

I am a fabricator.

you definitely could,salvage at least some of your existing tops. biggest risk is cracking of a sink or cooktop rail which can occur despite anything anyone ncan do.

re: removal; if 3CM typically they are only "glued" in place along the perimeter of the cabinets and can be cut free relatively easily. 2CM with a laminate edge typically has a plywood subtop which can make removal much harder.

in either case removing installled granite without damaging anything is a lot of work.

I know this doesn't help anyone with anything, but I'm so excited because my Ceasarstone Organic White counters are going in starting, 3-2-1 NOW!! (kitchen and two bathrooms). Finally.

Wow your kitchen is absolutely gorgeous. I can see why you're dreaming of the marble island - they seem to be everywhere nowadays and do look good. Never the less, your kitchen looks great and I wouldn't bother changing anything unless the granite started having major issues (cracking or something). You could have formica and your kitchen would still look good... hehehe.. I say enjoy the granite because it looks good and is durable.

Woohoo sjhockeyfan! That's exciting.

Thanks for all the help all. Looks like my dreams will have to deal with reality. I don't think it's worth it. Maybe an island counter change would be less risky as it only has a prep sink...but marble definitely wouldn't match it.

redroze, I think your kitchen is beautiful as is. Maybe its because I have your granite and think is really adds something to a kitchen. White cabinets with white marble would just seem boring to me but everyone is different.

Your kitchen really is beautiful, even with a stone that isn't "perfect" (to your eye). I was going to say you could just change the island surface, but then I realized you already have different cabinets on the perimeter and the island so I think that would be too many different finishes, and having the countertops all the same ties it all together. I think it's not worth the expense or the trouble.

Your kitchen is beautiful but I also believe if you can afford it, follow your heart:)

redroze I have a marble island and white Caesarstone perimeter counters. While I love the combination, I have to weigh in with a cautious "no" for your kitchen. Since you have all white cabinets on your perimeter, I think a white counter there will look very stark. I know sjhockeyfan voted against this (and I understand her reasoning), but what about only replacing the island counter with marble, and leaving the perimeter counters as they are right now? You could buy some butcher block paper and cover the island top with it to get an idea.

I think your kitchen is gorgeous as it is, but I understand the lure of marble.

I think your kitchen is just perfect as is!

I hear all of you and agree the granite is beautiful. That's why I feel like a spoiled brat!

Annakathryn what marble colour do you think would work? I adore your kitchen.

redroze, My husband just pulled up all our granite countertops as he was sick of them (almost 120 years old).
I am going to put Bianco Antico on my island and Zodiac quartz on my perimeter. Hoping to maybe use our old granite for a vanity top or a gas fireplace possibly.
You can remove it, just depends on how it is attached and have to be careful. I think your kitchen is beautiful.

redroze your kitchen seems to be taupe-y, on the gray side as opposed to the gold side, so a marble with more gray veins rather than caramel/cream seems the way to go. Some of the calacatto oro slabs might work if they tend towards gray.

[Contemporary Kitchen Countertops[(https://www.houzz.com/products/contemporary-kitchen-countertops-prbr1-br~t_439~s_2103) by Austin Tile, Stone & Countertops Artisan Group Stone and Wood Countertops

Sammy - I have a friend who has Bianco Antico on the island and grey quartz on the perimeters. So can vouch for the fact that it will look really nice!

Annakathryn, yes you're right that it's very gray and not warm/gold. Calacatta oro...you're totally speaking my language. I actually used Calacatta Gold (which I'm assuming is Oro in Italian?) in our bathrooms. Hmm I have a small slab...let me see what it looks like against the BA.

Here is a link that might be useful: My master bath

Hmm...what do you think? Keep the BA on the perimeter (which reads overall more dark/grey/taupe than the white due to the amount of dark in it) and Calacatta Oro on the island? Does it work?

I think your granite is beautiful and your kitchen is gorgeous as is. And you don't have to worry about etching as you would with marble. Changing your island to that marble won't make your kitchen look any better and it might be worse because I'm not sure if the patterns in your granite go that well with that marble.

Apply generous gobs of hot melt adhesive on the small edge of a 2x4 then adhere it to the sink and/or cooktop cut-out rails. Extending past each cutout a foot or so, the 2x4s provides granite the strength in tension it doesn't have but needs to be moved without cracking.

Smack the top edge of the 2x4 to remove it, scrape the glue off the stone, and cleanup with a little solvent after it's reinstalled.

Redroze, why not simply wait and use the marble in your basement kitchen?

We just bought a new house that had a kitchen with a terrible layout and cabinets/granite countertops that were not our style. We were able to remove the granite countertops without damaging the cabinets. We removed the whole kitchen and were able to sell them on craigslist. I'm not sure if all kitchens would remove as easily as ours, but other than the amount of time it took, it was not difficult. Good luck with your decision!

Yes, you're being a bit ridiculous - the kitchen looks great as is - but if you've got the money to redo it the way you want (including cabinet repair/replacement), then go for it.

Thanks for the opinions all...food for thought. I'll have to discuss with my husband. Making a marble kitchen in the basement would be a nice alternative too...kinda indulgent but I guess there will be a lot less counter down there so more affordable too.

Can be done, we put granite in our kitchen on the exsisting cabinets, that I thought would do it for me, and then 5 years later donated the counters and cabinets to put in a whole new kitchen. Nothing was damaged, Green Demolitions did a great job removing everything and at least it could be reused. So if your using it in the basement eventually, your still getting use out of it. do the marble in the kitchen, rather than the basement, because it sounds like that is what you always wanted..

Totally agree Michelle and it's good to hear others have had success with it!!! I'm excited....something to look forward to.

FYI - redroze, I went to look at your kitchen again and the link goes to nothing.

Debrak2008...sorry about that. I'm in the process of moving my website to another domain. Here's the new link.

Here is a link that might be useful: My new blog

Woops let me try that again

Here is a link that might be useful: My blog

Reading through the thread, I realize the photo of the kitchen (of AnnKathryn I believe) is the kitchen I saw on Houzz and copied the pendant lights from!! Thanks AnnKathryn! I love my pendant lights!!

redroze have you decided to go ahead and make the change?

lcskaisir the photo I posted above from Houzz isn't my kitchen. Were those the pendants you bought? Very pretty. Mine were Bruck Rainbow II which I love.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bruck pendants

Lol, that's what I get for skimming through quickly! I read that redroze loved your kitchen annkathryn and then I saw a photo of a kitchen posted by you so I assumed that was yours! I bought those pendants about a year ago after seeing them in that Houzz photo, funny to see that exact photo posted on here. Sorry for misunderstanding! Now I really want to see your kitchen!

lcskaisgir my kitchen is much less grand than the one I posted in the photo above, but I'm still happy with it after a year of using it. Link to the reveal thread is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Finished kitchen: Ikea, walnut, marble and glossy white

I'm sorry redroze for hijacking your thread. This is my last off-subject comment, I promise!

Annkathryn, your kitchen is beautiful! I especially love the island counter, walnut counter, and niche cabinet. And I also really love your stair rail and the clever storage under your stairs!

thanks lcskaisgir :)

Sorry for the hijack, redroze.

No apologies needed!! Ironically I read through the lessons learned on my blog and realized that I was being wistful over something I didn't choose. I love my kitchen the way it is and if a change in counter was ever a reasonable possibility down the line, I'll do it. For moe il enjoy it as it is!

Oh and I disagree annkathryn, your kitchen is drool worthy. That marble waterfall is to die for. It's kitchens like yours that (almost) make me want to yank out my granite.

I need guidance. We are buying a house and they said according to safety issues our quartz island had to be in 2 pieces with a seam. It's a big island , but one slab will do the job. It's some new rule after dangling a solid slab in front of us. If I have them put on a cheaper counter, can I remove it without damaging my cabinets. I have heard many comments say it can be done. And redroze was going to do it. Did you do it and how was the damage?

neece

neece:

I'm always suspicious when anyone brings up "safety issues" or "for the children". Please specify how large your island is and what brand of quartz you are using.

Unless you're going to cover sheets of USB with contact paper, you're wasting money on a "cheaper counter". Get the one you want now.

FWIW, my island is 10' x 4' and is made of one piece of Ceasarstone, and had to be carried up two flights of stairs (by 8 men) and turn several corners to get into our apartment.