How to Remove and Save Moldings

Whether you're remodeling the room or just adding a fresh coat of paint, sometimes you want to remove molding without ruining it. Careful removal allows for reuse. And, when dealing with ornate woodwork that's expensive or difficult to find, reinstallation may be your only option. This tutorial will show you how to carefully remove moldings in just five steps.

Before you begin, understand that the first pieces of molding to come off a wall are the last pieces to be reinstalled. The challenge is to remove the moldings without damaging them or anything else that will remain. Work slowly and methodically, prying the pieces loose from the nails that hold them.

Nails present two problems. First, if the molding has been painted, the nails are probably concealed. Second, even if you know where the nails are, you won't be able to get at them because their heads are set beneath the surface of the molding. There are two solutions: You can pry the molding away from the wall and pull out the nails from the back or cut them off, or you can drive the nails through the molding. Don't try to back the nails out; their heads likely will chip the face of the molding as they are driven out.

Expect to spend about 10 to 15 minutes removing each piece of molding, depending on length. You'll need to be comfortable prying, driving nails, cutting nails, and filing.

Our Guide to Trimwork and Molding

What You Need

• Putty knife

• 3-inch drywall knife

• Flat bar

• Hammer

• Nail set

• End nips

• File

Step 1: Place Putty Knife

Beginning at one end of a piece of molding, gently work a putty knife between the molding and the wall. You may have to tap the putty knife gently with a hammer to force it between the wall and molding.

How to Install Baseboard Molding

Step 2: Pry with Drywall Knife

As the molding loosens, work in a 3-inch drywall knife from underneath or from the other edge. Continue to pry gently along the length of the molding until you can see the nails that fasten the molding in place.

Step 3: Slip in a Flat Bar

As the gap widens, slip a flat bar behind the molding. Work along the length, gently prying the piece away from its home. Back up the bar with a scrap of 1/4-inch plywood to avoid damaging the wall or floor.

Step 4: Free One End

Free one end of the molding, then work along the rest of the piece, prying where each nail is located.

Step 5: Remove Nails

Grasp the nail with end nips at the back of the molding and pull the nail sideways, being careful not to dent the edges of the molding.

Extra Tips and Tricks

How to Drive Nails Through

One approach to removing trim is to drive the nails through the molding. This frees the molding and eliminates the problem of what to do with the nails protruding from a piece you want to save. This method also eliminates the possibility of damaging or breaking the molding while you pry it loose. The drawback is that you can easily split moldings—especially narrow ones—by driving the nails through. And in some cases, if the trim is a hardwood, such as oak, it can be difficult to drive the nails farther in.

First locate the nails. On woodwork that has been stained or coated with a clear finish, look for telltale spots of filler. For painted moldings, you may have to first pry them away from the wall as described above. Once you find the nails, drive them through the molding with a hammer and a nail set. Use a small-diameter nail set to avoid enlarging the hole.

How to Deal with Stubborn Nails

The small heads of most finishing nails pull easily through the back of molding, but sometimes, especially with older nails in hardwood molding, you can't pull nails without causing damage. In that case, clip off the nails with end nips and file away any protruding part of the nail until it is flush with the back of the molding.