# Removing old towel bar brackets



## Kath26 (Sep 28, 2009)

I'm looking for advice on the easiest way to remove old towel bar brackets that were painted over.  I think the surface around them and under the paint is a sort of plastic, and I don't want to damage the plastic on the wall or remove any more paint than necessary if at all possible - so I'm leery of trying a heat gun.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Sep 28, 2009)

Kath:

There will be a support bracket at each end of the towel bar.  Normally, on the bottom of each support bracket there will be a set screw that holds the support bracket onto a piece of metal that's screwed to the wall.

So you need to scrape away the paint at the bottom of the support bracket to reveal the set screw.  Then loosen the set screw on each support bracket.  Then lift the  support brackets off the wall individually or together.  Then remove the screws holding the metal piece the support bracket grabs onto from the wall.


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## Kath26 (Sep 29, 2009)

Thank you for the prompt reply however I think I should have either given a better description of the problem or posted a picture.

I do know how to remove a standard towel bar that uses brackets with a set screw, just as you described. Unfortunately, this is/was an old towel bar, not a modern one.  All that remains attached to the wall at this time are the brackets that held the bar.  They are firmly attached to the wall with four screws each, and the entire bracket is completely painted over. The surface of the wall is some sort of plastic, on top of drywall. I'd like to remove those brackets with minimal damage to the wall, and then I'll just spackle over the area and re-paint.


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Sep 29, 2009)

Kath26 said:


> They are firmly attached to the wall with four screws each, and the entire bracket is completely painted over.



To remove those brackets, why not remove the four screws holding each one to the wall?


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## Huh? (Sep 29, 2009)

Are they painted over too?


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## kok328 (Sep 29, 2009)

score the perimeter of the brackets with a razor knife, remove the screws and give it a pull.  Scoring the perimeter will ensure that the vinyl wall covering won't come off with the bracket and will leave a nice clean separation between the two.


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## Kath26 (Sep 30, 2009)

Yes, the entire bracket, including the screws holding it to the wall, is completely painted over. By several thick layers of paint. I can try scoring the perimeter of the bracket, that's helpful, but I don't think the screws will turn. But I will give it a shot!


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## Nestor_Kelebay (Oct 1, 2009)

Kath26:

No, don't try to turn those screws when the drives (slot, star or square) are full of paint.  Just take a sharp tool (like a razor knife or a center punch) and cut/dig the paint out of the drives of the screw.  If they're slot drive screws, then a razor knife will work best to cut the paint out of the slot.  If it's a Phillips or Robertson drive, then a center punch works best to dig the paint out of the screw's drive.  That is, remove the old dry paint from the screw drives before turning the screws.  It's not hard to do.

(It would have perhaps been more helpful to explain that the real problem you were facing was not figuring out how to remove the towel rod holders, but how to remove the paint from the screw heads holding it to the wall.)


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## Superpack (Dec 3, 2009)

I've seen replacement stock in some of the bigger stores like Home depot  and Lowes in the shower and bath section. You'll need to figure out how to  loosen one of the holders to get the bar back in after you cut it to fit.

Regards,


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