How to remove glass fireplace hearth material stuck to cement board on floor
#1
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How to remove glass fireplace hearth material stuck to cement board on floor
Hi, I couldn't find a section for fireplace surrounds, so I am hoping flooring will be appropriate.
I have a fireplace with a glass fireplace surround and glass hearth on the floor in front of the fireplace. Yes, someone else installed a plate of glass made to look like faux black marble on the floor in front of the fireplace. Something fell from the shelf above and broke the glass hearth. I wish I could have a few choice words with whoever thought putting a plate of glass on the floor in front of the fireplace was a good idea!
The plate of glass was glued to some concrete board. It is installed next to laminate wood flooring.
I carefully and safely broke up the glass to take it out, but where the glue is, the glass will not come off. I have tried to pry it off, and it won't budge. I have tried to pry up the concrete board, and it won't budge. I don't see any nails or screws in the concrete board, so it must have been glued to the subflooring. I just want to know if anyone can give me advice on how to remove the glass that is glued down to the concrete board. I plan on just smoothing out the concrete board and installing some tile on it or something. I will try to get a solid piece of granite or something to put there, haven't decided yet what to do, I just need to get the rest of the glass off first.
Thank you!
I have a fireplace with a glass fireplace surround and glass hearth on the floor in front of the fireplace. Yes, someone else installed a plate of glass made to look like faux black marble on the floor in front of the fireplace. Something fell from the shelf above and broke the glass hearth. I wish I could have a few choice words with whoever thought putting a plate of glass on the floor in front of the fireplace was a good idea!
The plate of glass was glued to some concrete board. It is installed next to laminate wood flooring.
I carefully and safely broke up the glass to take it out, but where the glue is, the glass will not come off. I have tried to pry it off, and it won't budge. I have tried to pry up the concrete board, and it won't budge. I don't see any nails or screws in the concrete board, so it must have been glued to the subflooring. I just want to know if anyone can give me advice on how to remove the glass that is glued down to the concrete board. I plan on just smoothing out the concrete board and installing some tile on it or something. I will try to get a solid piece of granite or something to put there, haven't decided yet what to do, I just need to get the rest of the glass off first.
Thank you!
#2
Well, being a carpenter who has also worked extensively with glass over the years, I would probably use a technique similar to taking up a difficult to remove subfloor. Cut it up into small pieces. Use a skilsaw and a diamond blade and cut it (and the cement board) up into smaller 6x6 (for example) pieces. Take a water bottle and drill an 1/8" hole in the lid and have someone squirt water onto the blade as you cut... similar to cutting tile. Wear eye protection, a respirator, long sleeve clothing and gloves. You might also want to put baby powder on your face and wear a hat and scarf, just in case your helper falls asleep on the job and doesn't keep the blade wet as you're cutting. All that is really just a precaution... the glass should really cut almost like ceramic tile would.
The 6x6 pieces of glass+cement board will probably pop right up when you smack the prybar underneath them with a hammer. Easier to remove many small pieces rather than one large one. If it doesn't pop right up, use a rotary hammer with a chisel attachment to get under the cement board (not the glass) in order to pop it loose.
The 6x6 pieces of glass+cement board will probably pop right up when you smack the prybar underneath them with a hammer. Easier to remove many small pieces rather than one large one. If it doesn't pop right up, use a rotary hammer with a chisel attachment to get under the cement board (not the glass) in order to pop it loose.
#3
Guess I forgot to mention to set the diamond blade to the exact depth needed so that you are cutting through both the glass and the cement board and aren't cutting into the plywood subfloor, but I would hope you'd have done that anyway.
#4
Use a 3" stiff putty knife as a chisel to get under the glass. Nibble small slivers at a time using a hammer to tap the putty knife under the glass. Leather gloves and eye protection are needed. Patience and determination should equal success. Tile would be a relatively easy fix using the same cement board. You will have to knock off any residual glue high spots and possibly skim smooth before tiling.
#5
Can you post pictures of what you have so we can see what you see? http://www.doityourself.com/forum/el...your-post.html