How To Remove Baseboards Fast & Easy
If you need to remove baseboards or trim as part of your DIY remodeling project, then this article is for you. Home projects can be stressful and take a lot of time but with these simple tips it doesn’t have to. Here I’ll show you how to remove baseboards fast and easy.
When To Remove Baseboards
Flooring
If you are replacing carpet, you don’t generally need to remove the baseboards. The carpet is flexible and can be tucked in underneath. But, when replacing flooring with a different type of flooring (i.e. removing carpet to put in luxury vinyl plank, tile, or hardwood flooring) then you will want to remove the baseboards. You’ll also always want to remove the baseboards when you’re taking up old tile.
Walls
If you’re painting a wall, then you can leave the baseboards and trim in tact and paint around it. If you’re relocating walls, or knocking some down, then you’ll want to remove all baseboards and trim.
Tools Needed
- Prybar
- Hammer
- Utility Knife
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Scrap Piece Of Wood
Score The Top
Take your utility knife and “score” along the top of the baseboard where it meets the wall. There may be some caulking along the top of the baseboard, or layers of paint. Scoring allows you to create a separation of the caulking, or paint, and the wall. If you don’t score that first, then you may damage the drywall when you go to pull the baseboard off.
Pry The Old Baseboard Off
Next tap the pry bar in to the top of the baseboard with a hammer to loosen it a bit from the wall. Once you have the baseboard loosened up for the pry bar to slip in behind it, take a scrap piece of wood to place on your wall behind the prybar. This prevents the prybar from going in to the wall and gouging it
Work your way down the baseboard slowly so you can score along the caulking line if needed.
Reusing Your Baseboard?
If you plan to reuse the baseboards when your remodeling project is complete, label them. When you remove your first baseboard, write a #1 on the back of the baseboard. Also, write a #1 on the wall where you removed it. This allows you to be able to put them back in the same place fast when you’re ready to reattach them. For the next baseboard, label it with a #2, and so on.
Finishing Up
Remove any nails left in the wall with a nail pry bar. Take some needle nose pliers to remove any brad nails that are still in the baseboard.
Scape off any excess caulking from the wall. If you’re reusing the baseboards, scrape the caulk off those too.
And that’s all there is to it. As you can see here it’s not that hard at all to remove your baseboards without damaging your walls. Now you’re ready for the next phase of your project. If that involves flooring, here is a quick “how to” on removing tile.
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