Removing the baseboard that sits along the bottom of the wall can be useful for painting the baseboard or performing maintenance on the floor. Removing baseboard is also a necessary task when you're installing new floors. Unless the baseboard is cracked or otherwise damaged, you can reuse the boards once the maintenance is complete. But to do this, the baseboard and the wall must not be damaged during the removal process. Carefully removing baseboard will allow you to reuse the undamaged boards.
Step 1
Place the pointed end of a nail punch tool on the heads of each of the finishing nails installed in the baseboard. The nails can be seen as slight depressions in the front of the baseboard wood.
Step 2
Tap the back of the nail punch with a hammer to drive the nails almost completely through the baseboard. Driving the nails through the board will allow you to pull the wood away from the nails without marring the face of the wood.
Step 3
Place a pry bar against the back of the baseboard near the edge of the wall. Tap the bar with a hammer until the extraction claw slides behind the baseboard. Place a wood shim between the extractor claw and the drywall.
Step 4
Slowly roll the pry bar upward against the shim until the baseboard begins to separate from the wall. Allow the board to pull about 3 inches away from the wall and then stop.
Step 5
Move the pry bar and shim along the baseboard and roll the board out as you travel the length of the wall. Once the board is exposed along the entire length of the wall, start on one side and gently pull the board completely away from the wall with your hands.
Step 6
Pull out the exposed finishing nails with pliers after the baseboard is removed.
References
Warnings
- Never roll a pry bar against drywall without the use of a shim, as the bar may punch a hole in the wall as you apply pressure.
Writer Bio
Heath Robert has been a professional writer since 2001. Covering news, politics and local communities, he has worked for daily newspapers across Colorado, including the "Columbine Courier" and the "Colorado Statesman." Robert holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in journalism and political science.