Silicone sealant between kitchen cabinet kick plate and floor - removal - dishwasher

[David]

In 2012 we had the rear of the house extended and a new kitchen fitted. Laminate flooring and the kitchen on top. Kick board/plate sealed to the laminate with some kind of silicone sealant.

My previous experience of silicone sealant is that it still stays fairly soft and flexible and can be peeled off if required.

This clear sealant seems to be set hard. Moderate attempts with a knife won't cut it, and I am delaying getting brutal because I don't want to damage the floor or kick board.

I am off to trawl the Internet, but meanwhile does anyone know how to soften or otherwise remove this stuff without terminal destruction?

I may be taking the wrong approach because I am trying to see underneath a built in dishwasher to try and trace a leak. I assumed that I would have to take the kick plate off. Do I instead have to slide the dishwasher out? That is, does a built in dishwasher sit on a cabinet floor or do its' bits dangle into the void?

Cheers

Dave R

[Jimk]

Will the kick panel not come off with some flavour of moulded extrusion still attached to the bottom?

You may have to remove other kick boards to release the one you want out. If they are done proper there'll be clips securing the kick boards to the cabinet legs too..

[David]

The laminate floor goes under the kitchen units right up to the wall. The units are one long run along the wall of roughly 7.4 metres. The kick board is one long run of 3 metres, followed by another run of 2.4 metres.

It has just been suggested to me that it may not be silicone sealant, but instead a plastic moulding/u shaped channel as used (for example) to seal round glass shower doors. I will investigate further. It is a Howdens kitchen.

I am assuming that it is clipped to the legs of the cabinets.

Cheers

Dave R

[Harry Bloomfield, Esq.]

David presented the following explanation :

Some clear sealants can set very hard indeed, but why would they use it on a kick board?

Kick boards used to be screwed in place, though later ones just clip into place. All you can do is pull and cut until the board is free and able to be cleaned up.

Mine are older ones, which screwed into place, fitted by me. I recently re-did the floor, so all had to be removed, so I took the opportunity to clean them up and repaint them all. Kick boards are quite cheap to replace with new, if they are damaged.

[David]

Ah!

Looking possible.

Cheers

Dave R

[Jimk]

Exactly as I suspected then...

[Brian Gaff (Sofa]

However, most appliances seem to be sitting on a base from what I've seen. At least on two runners so it can be slid, otherwise how would they have put them in? Brian

[David]

They sit on four screw feet for levelling and you just slide them in on the floor.

Cheers

Dave R