The pros that will be installing the replacement counter would probably be the best choice to remove what's there. However, there isn't anyone anywhere that will guarantee that both the granite and the cabinets both won't suffer damage being separated. Pick your first choice to keep, and then tailor the removal methods to inflicting the least amount of damage to that component.

If the granite does come off undamaged, you could possibly sell it on Craigslist if it's small enough to be consumer handleable without specialized equipment, i.e., it's a pretty small piece. If its a large piece, the risk to your home from amateurs attempting this is too great to inflict on your homeowner's insurance. The pros aren't going to want to deal with reselling it, and they will probably charge you for disposal.

BTW, better find the name of a good cabinet maker who can do repair work. Just in case. Or, if you are planning on more overhang and need to alter the island for additional support.

Along the same lines, is it possible to re-use an undermount stainless steel sink that is attached to a granite counter top?

"1. Is there a way to remove them well so as to salvage / sell (as well as preserve the cabinets they sit on)? 2. Is there a market for used granite? 3. Where do I go to find someone for removal?"

chromaspace:

1. Yes. Don't forget safe storage as well as safe removal. An unsecured granite slab can crush a person, especially a small one.

2. Yes, but the more exotic, the better and the larger the pieces the better. I just pulled some granite for customers yesterday and they would be lucky to recover my fee from the sale.

3. I highly recommend www.homeadvisor for finding a granite removal contractor. I'd look under "granite repairs".

" However, there isn't anyone anywhere that will guarantee that both the granite and the cabinets both won't suffer damage being separated."

Again, hollysprings nails it. Yep, I broke the tops yesterday at the sink even though they'd been rodded and I had installed additional support. Easy enough to fix though.

Don't expect granite to separate at seams easily. Properly made seams are stronger than the surrounding stone as I found out yesterday.

"Along the same lines, is it possible to re-use an undermount stainless steel sink that is attached to a granite counter top?"

suellen:

Yes. After you've detached all mechanical fasteners, drive a stiff scraper between the sink and the bottom of the stone, then drive in a shim. Work your way around until the caulk seal fails. Scrape and abrade all the remaining caulk from the sink flange. With progressively finer grits, it will shine like new.

This post was edited by Trebruchet on Sun, Jun 22, 14 at 9:17

My husband and I did DIY demo. We wanted to give our old cabs to my SIL who lost a kitchen to Sandy. She could not reuse the granite. The cabs were not damaged. And my SIL is reusing the stainless under-mount sink. Fwiw, we were able to bring up one piece with breaking it. But along the seams and sink rail we cracked on purpose.

No one in our area would take the granite tops as a donation. We tried to sell it local, but there was no market. And the places we called to pay to just remove the tops would not guarantee the cabinets. So we just removed them ourselves. It wasn't easy. But it wasn't impossible. Then we broke up the granite and did trips to the local dump.

My GC dismantled my old cabinets and counter, and left the undermount sink attached. My counters were not granite--they were Corian, I think.

We donated to Habitat for Humanity's store (Restore?). They picked up everything for free. It was a handsome deduction on our income taxes (our accountant valued it as an $8,000 donation). The deduction savings was more than what we could have sold it for on CL.

thank you, EVERYONE, for the amazing help. i've found the installers i wish to use; unfortunately they don't do removal. as well, it makes me ill that these ginormous 3 year old slabs might go to waste hearing that no one wanted jennifer132's. i WILL take a look at homeadvisor for someone for removal. finally, with two kids underfoot i appreciate the warning about safety. i hadn't thought about tipping slabs.