Conceived major renovation, or updating the interior of the room? Then you will not be able to do without dismantling work. Removing old coatings is a mandatory step before starting repair work. Dismantling skirting boards presents difficulties, especially if the wall or floor covering needs to be preserved.
How to remove the baseboard without damaging the walls, floor and ceiling? In this article we will look at the main ways to remove baguettes (and) with your own hands.
Features of dismantling work
There may be several reasons for removing skirting boards: they are damaged, unpresentable appearance, the need to replace flooring, wall and ceiling finishing.
Dismantling work is divided into:
- simple - removal of old finishing elements and their subsequent disposal;
- complex - dismantling worn-out products for the purpose of reusing them.
The cost of removing a baguette is also determined by the material it is made of. It’s easier to remove it this way than to remove plaster.
Methods for removing ceiling fillets
If you need to replace the finishing of walls and ceilings, the question arises: how to remove the ceiling plinth? To do this you will need the following tools:
- chisel, pry bar;
- putty knife;
Dismantling ceiling plinth begins with scraping the paint off the sides of the baguette with a knife. Next, drive the sharp end of a chisel or spatula between the wall and the baseboard, separating the product along the entire perimeter of the room.
On a note: To avoid damaging the wall, place a small sheet of plywood.Insert a crowbar into the resulting holes and remove the plinth.
And foam plastic, due to the fragility of the material, cannot be removed without damage. Dismantling gypsum fillets is also difficult - when removed, they simply fall apart into pieces, creating a lot of debris.
Attention: removing the baguette from suspended ceiling, be careful not to damage the drywall.How to disassemble a floor plinth
When changing the floor covering, it is necessary to remove the floor molding. How to remove the baseboard from the floor correctly?
Wooden planks are attached to nails, which may rust during the operation of the product. How to tear them off without damaging the wall or floor? First, the plinth is separated from the wall using a chisel, and then removed, pushing it away using a crowbar.
Attention: After dismantling, all nails should be removed.
Removing wooden planks
How to remove? Since PVC planks are screwed to the wall, they are easy to dismantle - you just need to remove them top bar, unscrew the screws and disassemble the structure.
Repairs in any room require the most various works. This includes wall decoration, floor finishing, and replacement of windows/doors. But in most cases - and this is especially true for secondary housing - various dismantling works are carried out in advance, affecting almost all elements inside the premises. Dismantling the baseboard must be done in order to be able to properly lay the new floor covering, as well as in order to replace old products. The procedure is quite simple, and therefore you can do it yourself.
The use of skirting boards when decorating the junction of floors and walls is necessary, because this decorative item performs a lot of useful functions:
- closes the compensation gap that forms between floor covering and the wall (when laying laminate, parquet board and other materials);
- masks uneven surfaces near the walls formed during the installation of floor finishing;
- serves as a cable channel and allows you to lay electrical communications and other cables inside;
- allows the walls and floor to harmoniously fit together.
The complexity of dismantling work regarding this decorative element will directly depend on what type of baseboard needs to be removed, as well as how it was secured. Therefore, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with all types of products in order to have an idea of how difficult or simple the job will be.
Table. Types of floor skirting boards.
| Material of manufacture | Description |
|---|---|
| The oldest and famous type baseboards. Usually made from wood coniferous species, as well as beech or oak. Environmentally friendly, very durable and beautiful. It is quite expensive compared to other types. Another disadvantage of wooden plinths is that they are difficult to install; the material requires very precise fitting of parts, and then finishing (for example, painting). Yes, and it’s not easy to dismantle. It also does not have cable channels; laying wires under it is inconvenient and undesirable due to the high fire hazard. |
| It is very popular due to its beautiful appearance (no worse than wood) and low price. Lightweight, easy to install, often has cable channels for laying wires. Plastic plinth does not need to be coated with varnish or paint. The product is made of PVC and may have different heights and absolutely any color. Disadvantages - fragility under mechanical stress and the need to use additional elements(plugs, connectors). |
| Easy to clean and relatively inexpensive. Not afraid of ultraviolet radiation, does not fade, does not crumble. Made from MDF. Can imitate expensive wood species. There are cable channels. The main disadvantages are low strength and short shelf life. |
| Has a wood base and is beautiful outer covering, coated with varnish or melamine. A wide range of colors, natural material, reasonable cost, as well as the possible presence of a cable channel are attracting more and more consumers to veneered plinths. Main disadvantage material - fear of water. |
| Often used in commercial premises, in residential buildings extremely rare. Various wires can be laid inside it. |
| Flexible, easy to install, but requires finishing(painting) provided that the plinth white does not fit the interior. It is not afraid of temperature changes or humidity, so it can be used in the kitchen or bathroom. |
plastic floor plinth
Methods of fastening skirting boards
All types of skirting boards require a certain method of fastening and can be installed using:
- self-tapping screws (all types);
- nails (wooden, veneered);
- adhesive solutions (all types);
- special mounting fasteners (MDF, plastic, etc.);
- chopiks (wooden).
Basic rules for dismantling
You won’t be able to remove the old baseboard with your bare hands, so you should get necessary tool. The list below is general - some of the devices, depending on the method of attaching the plinth, may not be needed.
What you will need for work:
- nail puller or crowbar;
- screwdriver or screwdriver;
- mallet, spatula;
- putty knife;
- hammer;
- stationery or any other sharp knife;
- wooden wedges or chisels.
wooden mallet
Advice! To carry out the work, you should take clothes that you don’t mind. There is not so much debris and dust when dismantling skirting boards, but, nevertheless, they exist. You can also easily ruin clean clothes if you remove a plinth that was previously installed with glue.
The most difficult thing is to remove the baseboard secured with nails without damaging the walls and floor. In this case, you will have to put in a lot of effort, since the product is usually installed using powerful and long nails, which are quite difficult to tear out from the base. Here you need to use a small crowbar (crowbar), a chisel or a small spatula.
Attention! When dismantling a wooden plinth secured with nails, the effort should be great, but sudden movements should not be made.
If the baseboard is screwed with self-tapping screws, then the work will be much easier. In this case, using a screwdriver or screwdriver, the baseboard is simply unscrewed.
Attention! If the product is equipped with a cable channel, then it is important, before starting dismantling work, to remove all wires from it, especially electrical ones. Otherwise, there will be a risk that the person performing the work may receive an electric shock.
How to remove baseboards with your own hands?
Sometimes skirting boards need to be removed to replace them with new ones, sometimes to lay fresh flooring and then put it back in place. Breaking is not building, and in any case, removing the baseboards to throw them away is much easier. But to reuse them, you will have to act carefully. Let's consider methods for dismantling skirting boards, depending on the material from which they are made, and on how and with what they are secured.
How to remove a wooden baseboard from the floor?
The most difficult to dismantle are old wooden skirting boards, which were produced back in the days Soviet Union and were made to last. And they were attached the same way. Yes, such products are still found in some apartments and have not yet outlived their usefulness, although they have lost their appearance under a mass of layers of paint. They can be fixed in several ways - with glue, nails, or to the wall or floor.
The first thing you need to do is look at how the baseboard is attached. If nails were used for this, their heads will be clearly visible on the surface of the product. They can be recessed into it or, conversely, protrude slightly above the surface.
If the plinth is nailed to the floor, in the place where the nail is found, a crowbar is driven under the plinth with the side with the curved end. It is more convenient to do this if you additionally use a pointed flat spatula. Next, all that remains is to tilt the crowbar and the plinth will come away. There is no need to pull it out completely - the same procedure is carried out at the next nail. And only when the plinth is raised along its entire length is it removed completely.
Advice! Very often to tear off wooden baseboard secured with powerful thick nails, it takes a lot of effort. In order not to damage the floors and protect them from dents, a small piece of plywood is placed under the base of the crowbar.
Sometimes new wooden baseboards have to be dismantled in the same way. They can be used again. However, the plinth may break during work. To prevent this from happening, dismantling must begin from the edge of the wall, and the product should be lifted at a time by no more than 1-3 cm. Also, there should not be a large distance between the crowbar and the nail, otherwise the plinth can easily break. After the product has been raised by this amount, you need to return to the first nail and raise it higher. The rest of the joints are processed in the same way until the nails come out completely. If you can’t get close to the plinth with a crowbar, then you can use a chisel to try to work the product around the nail heads, and then remove them (the nails) separately and remove the plinth.
Advice! In this case, a small wooden block can serve as a support for the crowbar.
Sometimes it happens that the nails on the surface of the baseboard are not noticeable - most likely, they were puttied after installation. In this case, you will have to act at random, starting from the beginning of the plinth. As a rule, nails were driven in increments of no more than 70 cm. Usually the distance between them is 50 cm. The first nail will be located approximately 20 cm from the edge.
It is more difficult to remove a baseboard that is nailed to the wall rather than to the floor. In this case, it is easy to damage both the plaster and the wallpaper on the walls. Typically this kind of fastening can be found in very old houses. In this case, a thin spatula is driven between the wall and the baseboard - this is an attempt to slightly expand the existing gap. Next, insert a wooden wedge and drive it deeper with a hammer. The procedure is repeated in increments of approximately 30 cm. Then they return to the first wedge, it is driven even deeper, then the second and so on. You will have to work like this until the plinth itself moves away from the wall. If you don’t mind covering the walls, then you can use a crowbar.
Video - How to remove old skirting boards
Removing a baseboard screwed with self-tapping screws
In this case, it is likely that things will go easier. In the same way as in the previous section, you should find all the screw heads. They can be recessed into the baseboard, or they can protrude slightly above the surface. In order to dismantle the plinth, just use a screwdriver or screwdriver to unscrew all the screws, and the product will be easily removed.
If the screws were driven into the baseboard, which is also not uncommon, then you must act in exactly the same way as when removing a baseboard secured with nails.
Dismantling wooden plinths with choppers
It is extremely rare, but still there are skirting boards attached to the base using small wooden choppers. This installation method occurs in 5% of cases. Typically, the technique is used when installing expensive skirting boards made of valuable wood. In this case, the attachment points will be unnoticeable - they may be circles that resemble knots in the appearance of solid wood.
Advice! You can find chopiks by the dark rim around them or by the grain of the wood. The fibers of the baseboard will run along, and the fibers of the chop will run across.
In this case, the chopsticks are simply drilled out or picked out using improvised means. Sometimes there may be nails or screws underneath them. Then the same crowbar will be used.
Removing MDF skirting boards
Skirting boards made from MDF are usually attached to the wall using special fasteners and secured with a latch. These fasteners are screwed to the wall separately, and the decorative product itself is mounted on them.
In order to remove such a plinth, use a wide spatula. It is driven under the bottom of the baseboard and is used as a small lever. The baseboard rises. The spatula can also be inserted into the gap between the wall and the baseboard - in this case it pulls towards itself. All actions are carried out very carefully. As a result of the work done, the plinth will simply snap off and be removed from the mount.
MDF floor plinth
How to remove plastic skirting board from the floor?
The easiest way to dismantle plastic skirting boards. As a rule, they are not held as securely as, for example, wooden ones, and are usually simply screwed to the wall using screws and dowels. The fastening point is covered with an insert, so the fastening elements are invisible from the outside.
Removing the plastic floor plinth
It is better to start work from any external corner. This is one of the most common dismantling methods.
Step 1. Using a flat-head screwdriver decorative corner It is hooked from below and gently lifted. Then it is simply removed by hand.
Step 2. The strip covering the cable channel and the fastening points with self-tapping screws is removed by hand.
Step 3. Use a screwdriver or screwdriver to unscrew the screws. The baseboard has been removed.
However external corners Not everyone has them in their rooms. It depends on the geometric shape premises. Fortunately, you can remove the baseboard in another way - in this case, dismantling begins from the end part.
Step 1. The end cap is removed from the end of the plinth by hand.
Step 2. The bar covering the cable channel is pulled out by hand.
Step 3. Self-tapping screws can be unscrewed in any convenient way.
Video - How to remove a plastic skirting board
The method for dismantling each type of plinth is described in sufficient detail, and therefore problems should not arise during the work (at least for those who carefully read the article). As a rule, even for novice craftsmen, everything goes quickly at this stage of repair.
Dismantling a plinth can be considered a simple job that even a person who has never had anything to do with construction can handle. You don’t need a lot of intelligence in this matter, but it’s still worth familiarizing yourself with what kind of tool you need and what order of work. Skirting boards, as you know, can be different: sometimes wooden, sometimes plastic.
Removing the plastic baseboard. It is enough to take a screwdriver or screwdriver and unscrew the screws; if the baseboard has a secret groove for wiring, then first remove it and then unscrew the screws. The situation is worse with wooden plinths, and not modern wooden plinths, but old Soviet painted, good-quality wooden plinths. To remove such a plinth, you need to sweat a lot.
Tool you will need:
- crowbar;
- Wooden wedges;
- A chisel or large, strong screwdriver to pry the baseboard from underneath.
Dismantling old wooden plinth.
Take and pry up the old baseboard in two planes: from the wall to the side and from the floor upward. You pry it from the walls to the side using a crowbar, and it is advisable to stick a chisel or a flat, strong screwdriver through from below. Under both levers, that is, under the crowbar and chisel (or whatever you have), it is necessary, if possible, to place wooden wedges. This must be done so as not to damage the walls during dismantling. You need to operate with two levers at once, gradually lifting the baseboard from the walls and from the floor. During the dismantling process, a gap should form between the wall and the floor with the characteristic creaking of nails. After the chips have appeared in one place, move further along the entire baseboard, using the same movements to dismantle the baseboard along the entire perimeter of the room.
Regardless of the type of flooring in your apartment (or house), skirting boards are always used - with parquet, laminate, linoleum and carpet. In our time natural materials, such as wood, are not cheap, which is why 90% of families decide to install plastic skirting board- it is easy to maintain, is not expensive, and you can install it yourself, without the help of specialists. But even plastic loses its appearance over time, or someone can accidentally break it by carelessly stepping on a hairpin or dropping something heavy. In both cases, for a full or partial replacement, you need to know how to remove the baseboard.
How to remove a plastic baseboard, what materials are needed for this?
The tool is quite simple - depending on the fastening method, you will need a screwdriver or nail puller, a spatula, wooden wedges, and of course your hands.
Of course, you can contact a specialist who will quickly, without noise and dust, do all the work for you. If you decide to remove the baseboard yourself, we will describe the dismantling process step by step.
First stage: in case of fastening the plinth using a shoe, you need to tear it off with a nail puller. If your baseboard is attached with screws or self-tapping screws, use a screwdriver or screwdriver.
Second phase: in the case of fastening with nails, you need to carefully tear the baseboard away from the wall so as not to damage the walls and flooring. To do this, you will need 2 tools (or imitation of them) - a spatula, and something similar to a small crowbar. We insert the crowbar between the plinth and the wall, and carefully slide the spatula under the lower part of the plinth.
Stage three: under the 2 levers obtained in the second stage you need to place wooden wedges or something like them. Thanks to this simple device, we will protect the wall and floor from damage.
Fourth stage: perhaps the most responsible. Very carefully pull the baseboard towards you, making sure that the pressure is applied to the placed wooden wedges. There is no need to rush, do everything carefully and slowly. As the well-known folk wisdom says, “If you hurry, you will make people laugh.” We do the same with all parts of the baseboard that need to be removed.
These 4 steps are used when removing wood skirting boards. If you have a plastic one, the work becomes much easier. Carefully remove all self-tapping screws (or screws). If you remove the baseboard, I plan to return it to its place later (after changing the wallpaper or flooring), we recommend that you put all the screws neatly in a box, and sign the parts of the baseboards by selecting a reference point (1, 2, 3, and so on) clockwise or counterclockwise. Thus, to return them to their place, you will not need to play puzzles, wondering which part to screw where.
Are you planning a major renovation or updating the interior of the premises? Then you will not be able to do without dismantling work. Removing old coatings is a mandatory step before starting repair work. Dismantling skirting boards presents difficulties, especially if the wall or floor covering needs to be preserved.
How to remove the baseboard without damaging the walls, floor and ceiling? In this article we will look at the main ways to remove baguettes (ceiling and floor) with your own hands.
Features of dismantling work
There may be several reasons for removing skirting boards: their damage, unpresentable appearance, the need to replace the floor covering, wall and ceiling decoration.
Dismantling work is divided into:
- simple - removal of old finishing elements and their subsequent disposal;
- complex - dismantling worn-out products for the purpose of reusing them.
The cost of removing a baguette is also determined by the material it is made of. It’s easier to remove a product made of plastic and polyurethane than one made of wood, plaster, or ceramics.
Methods for removing ceiling fillets
If you need to replace the finishing of walls and ceilings, the question arises: how to remove the ceiling plinth? To do this you will need the following tools:
- chisel, pry bar;
- putty knife;
Dismantling the ceiling plinth begins with clearing the paint on the sides of the baguette with a knife. Next, drive the sharp end of a chisel or spatula between the wall and the baseboard, separating the product along the entire perimeter of the room.
On a note: To avoid damaging the wall, place a small sheet of plywood.
Insert a crowbar into the resulting holes and remove the plinth.
Due to the fragility of the material, fillets made of polyurethane and foam cannot be removed without damage. Dismantling gypsum fillets is also difficult - when removed, they simply fall apart into pieces, creating a lot of debris.
Attention: When removing a molding from a suspended ceiling, be careful not to damage the drywall.
How to disassemble a floor plinth
When changing the floor covering, it is necessary to remove the floor molding. How to remove the baseboard from the floor correctly?
Wooden planks are attached to nails, which may rust during the operation of the product. How to tear them off without damaging the wall or floor? First, the plinth is separated from the wall using a chisel, and then removed, pushing it away using a crowbar.
Attention: After dismantling, all nails should be removed.
Removing wooden planks
How to remove a plastic baseboard? Since the PVC strips are screwed to the wall, they are easy to dismantle - you just need to remove the top strip, unscrew the screws and disassemble the structure.
Ceiling plinth is a popular decorative element that is found at the junction of the ceiling and wall. It is required to mask possible visual defects and give the interior a finished look. In some cases, it becomes necessary to remove it from the ceiling. This happens during a new renovation, when updating the interior, or if the old element is worn out.
You can cope with this task yourself; no special skills are required. However, you need to act carefully so as not to damage stretch fabric. To do this, it is recommended to follow our advice and select the right tools.
What will you need for work?
Attention! There are many types of skirting boards available. They differ in size, material, and the presence of decorative elements, corners, and moldings. Depending on this, they distinguish Various types fastenings - nails, glue, putty, modern adhesive mixtures.
To remove this element, you will have to find a number of tools and materials. They directly depend on the type of fastening and the material of the plinth. In any case, it is important to act carefully so as not to damage the surface of the walls and ceiling. Ideal removal is considered to be when the decorative element can be re-glued.
Among the tools you will need are the following if the element is glued or nailed:
- Mallet.
- Hammer.
- Chisel. Alternatively, choose a flathead screwdriver.
- Wooden wedges.
- A flexible, small, thin spatula or scraper.
- Special knife: shoemaker or ordinary stationery.
- Nail puller or crowbar.
Skirting material
The easiest way is to remove the plastic element. It is attached to dowel nails. To get rid of the part, carefully remove decorative strip. After this, remove the wires from the cable channel, if they are laid, unscrew the screws. If desired, you can simply install the element in place.
Another possible material plinth - gypsum stucco molding. In this case, it is not recommended to touch it. It is unlikely that you will be able to remove the decor carefully. You can try running a knife along the joints and pushing the knife deeper. In some cases, it is possible to remove stucco molding. If this does not work, wet the plaster and beat it with a hammer.
Decorative parts are made of polystyrene foam or polystyrene. They are attached with special glue. To remove such an element, the ceiling is directed at the material warm air. In a short period of time the glue will soften, the decor is removed using a thin spatula or knife. It is not recommended to touch the material with your hands, as warm air softens it and makes it susceptible to mechanical damage.
The hardest part to get rid of is wood or polyurethane baseboards. They are attached with glue or nails. Dismantling an element attached with putty or adhesive begins from the corner or from the side of the door. To do this, use a mallet or a thin spatula. Carry out along the joint sharp knife, getting a kind of gap. Use a spatula to support the element from below, and tap the handle with a mallet. The tool should carefully penetrate the gap and cut off the baseboard.
You can remove decor attached to nails by using a knife to stitch the fastening seams. Additionally they are also filled paint and varnish material. The chisel is driven into the gap located against the wall using a mallet. It turns out to be a gap where a corner of wood is inserted. The steps are carefully repeated, gradually removing the baseboard.
Now you know how to remove the ceiling plinth. In general, the work is not difficult, so you don’t have to call a professional. Most often, the reason for removing this part is unaesthetic appearance and the desire to install a new structure. To eliminate any complications and difficulties, pay attention to the video. It illustrates the stages of removing a stretch ceiling, including the ceiling plinth.
One of the stages of preparing premises for renovation is the dismantling of old floor and ceiling moldings. This work is not very complex, however, there are still several nuances here. But the use of brute force alone can lead to damage to the floor covering, as well as the finishing of the walls and ceiling.
We will tell you how to remove the baseboard from the floor and ceiling carefully, without damaging the surrounding surfaces.
How to remove baseboards with your own hands
To dismantle both ceiling and floor moldings, the set of tools will be the same. It differs only depending on what material the plinth is made of and how it is attached. You will need one of these: a screwdriver, a screwdriver, or a spatula.
Removing floor moldings
The most simple work– removal of moldings that are attached using clips and mounting rails. On the left side next photo shows how to remove the plastic skirting board from such fastenings. Here you just need to slip a spatula between the plank and the floor and gently press the baseboard up. If necessary, the fastenings can also be disassembled. If the fixation was made using self-tapping screws, that’s also not difficult. They can be removed with a screwdriver or screwdriver.
How to remove molding with clips or screws
An old wooden plinth nailed down can deliver much more more problems. It is more difficult to remove it, and this despite the fact that there is a constant risk of damage not only to the wallpaper, but also to the plaster. This is especially true for old housing stock. To avoid problems we do this:
- We place a spatula between the wall and the molding and carefully try to widen the gap.
- We take a small wedge and insert it into the resulting gap.
- With light blows of the hammer we drive the wedge a little deeper.
- We retreat 30 cm and repeat the operation with a spatula.
- We insert the next wedge and deepen it.
- We drive the first wedge even deeper.
So we work with two or three wedges, gradually driving them down until the nails come out of the wall.
How to remove a baseboard using a spatula and wedges
How to tear moldings from the ceiling
The easiest way to dismantle ceiling plinths is made of polystyrene foam or polyurethane, since they are attached with glue. In a few movements, move the spatula between the ceiling and the baseboard, then move the spatula slightly to the side and repeat everything. We do this until the baguette is completely separated.
If you need to dismantle the old baseboards, then it’s time to renovate or update the interior. Of course, no special skills are required for dismantling, but, nevertheless, in order to remove the profile and not spoil anything, you need to know a few simple rules.
What you need
Skirting boards today huge selection: ceiling and floor, made of wood, pvc, polyurethane, polystyrene, metal, plaster, with corners, moldings and decorative elements. And besides this, modern adhesive mixtures attached to glue, nails, putty, etc. with very reliable fixation. It happens that it is incredibly difficult to remove a profile, and you also want to avoid damaging the walls, floor, ceiling, and also not spoil the fillet, especially if it is expensive and needs to be re-glued.
If the baseboards are nailed or glued, you will need the following tools to remove them:
- chisel or screwdriver with a flattened end;
- mallet;
- scraper or small thin, flexible spatula;
- wooden wedges;
- crowbar, also known as a nail puller;
- shoemaker or stationery knife;
- hammer.
How to tear off baseboards
It must be said right away that the only task that does not cause any difficulties is how to remove the plastic baseboard. Typically, it is used to seal the joint between the wall and the floor covering, and screw nails onto the dowel. It is enough to remove the decorative strip, remove the wires from the cable channel, unscrew the screws, and after repair, simply install it in place.
To remove PVC profile just unscrew the screws
Stucco molding
It is better not to touch the plaster baguette. Sadly, it is extremely difficult to carefully remove stucco molding; it is dismantled if it is not suitable for the new interior; in other cases, it is better not to touch it. Try, of course, running a knife along the joints several times, each time trying to push the knife deeper. If the mixture on which the fillet is held crumbles, then there is a chance to slowly remove it. But more often than not, it’s impossible to tear off the stucco molding; it gets wet and is simply beaten off with a hammer and chisel.
Polystyrene and foam
Planks made of polystyrene and foam plastic are usually glued with special glue. Before removing the ceiling plinth made of these materials, direct a stream of warm air at it; after a while, the adhesive composition will soften. All that remains is to run a knife or thin spatula along the joint, pry up the profile, and carefully remove it.
Important: Try to dismantle the ceiling plinth made of polystyrene or foam plastic as carefully as possible: do not touch front side with decor, since when exposed to warm air the material becomes soft and can be damaged even with minor mechanical stress.
Photo diagram of how to remove ceiling plinth
Difficult case
Wooden and polyurethane skirting boards are usually “set” on nails and adhesives that “you can’t tear off with your teeth,” and you will have to work hard to remove such a profile. Dismantling should begin from the door or from the corner.
Glue and putty of strong fixation
Ceiling and floor skirting boards made of polyurethane are removed using a thin spatula and a mallet. Run a sharp knife along the joint several times to create a small gap. Press the spatula from below, the handle should be almost close to the wall. Tap the handle with a mallet to metal part The spatula went between the plank and the wall, as if cutting it off the wall.
Nails
Before removing the wooden floor plinth, use a knife to stitch the seams where the plinth joins the wall and floor; they are usually filled with several layers of paint or varnish. From the wall side, insert a chisel into the gap formed and drive it deeper with a hammer. Insert a wooden corner into the resulting gap. Repeat the operation after about a meter, gradually tearing off the die.
In fact, any serious repair begins with some kind of dismantling work. If you need to repair the floor, you will first need to dismantle it. floor plinth. Of course, the skirting boards can be torn out “with meat”, that is, so that later they can simply be thrown away. But this is not always reasonable and rational, because very often skirting boards can be reused. In such cases, you need to know how to remove the old baseboard from the floor carefully without damaging it. The difficulty of removing the baseboard depends on the material it is made of and the method of fixing it to the floor (nails, glue, putty).
- How to remove plastic skirting board from the floor?
- Removing a wooden baseboard nailed to the floor
- Dismantling with a crowbar - option No. 1
- Dismantling with a crowbar - option No. 2
- If the nails “do not lend themselves” to the crowbar
- If you can't see the nail heads
- Removing a wooden plinth screwed with self-tapping screws
- Removing MDF skirting boards
How to remove plastic skirting board from the floor?
Plastic skirting boards have hidden fastening and screwed to the wall with screws, after which a special plug is inserted into the mounting location. When solving the problem of how to remove a plastic baseboard from the floor, you should also get to the fastenings using a spatula. After the latch comes off, all that remains is to unscrew the screws.
Video on how to remove a plastic skirting board:
If the plinth also functions as a cable channel, then one more point appears in the installation sequence - you must first remove the strip that covers the channel and remove the wire from there. Then you can begin to dismantle the baseboard itself by simply unscrewing it from the wall.
Removing wooden skirting boards nailed to the wall is considered the most problematic, since during this work there is a considerable risk of damage to the wallpaper and even plaster. Such skirting boards predominate in old houses, so you should proceed with them as follows:
- Insert a spatula between the baseboard and the wall and carefully try to widen the gap with it.
- Then insert a wooden wedge into the widened gap and, lightly tapping it with a hammer, drive it even deeper.
At a distance of 30 cm from the wedge, repeat the procedure with a spatula. - Insert a new wedge into the widened gap and also deepen it.
- After this, drive the first wedge even deeper.
- Working in this way with a couple of wedges, they need to be driven gradually deeper until the nails come out of the wall.
Removing a wooden baseboard nailed to the floor
Most often, the nail heads protrude above the surface of the wood, so finding them is not so difficult. But even if they are recessed into the baseboard, even then they are easy to find by their characteristic recesses.
Dismantling with a crowbar - option No. 1
- IN in this case, before removing the plinth from the floor, you need to drive the pointed end of the crowbar under it, not far from the location of the nail holding the plinth.
- After this, pull the crowbar towards you.
True, if the nails are rusty and hold tightly, the crowbar will leave a noticeable dent in the floorboard. To avoid this and increase the support area of the tool, you need to put something quite thin but strong (a piece of plywood, a thin board, a metal plate) under the crowbar. But if you apply too much force, the baseboard may break, so you need to act carefully.
For the same purpose - not to damage the border - it is better to start dismantling the baseboard from the edge. First, you need to lift it above the floor in the area of the first nail, then repeat the same at the next, then at the third, and so on, until the entire length of the plinth is at the same distance from the floor. Then continue the operation until the nails finally come out of the floorboards.
The crowbar must be placed as close to the nail as possible, otherwise, the further it is located, the more likely it is that the material will break.
Dismantling with a crowbar - option No. 2
You can do it a little differently: first lift the plinth near the first nail, then near the second, then return to the first, and then move on to the third, then the second, etc.
Video on how to remove an old wooden baseboard from the floor:
If the nails “do not lend themselves” to the crowbar
If the baseboard does not give in anyway, then all that remains is to use a chisel to cut out a small depression near the nail so that the nail can be grabbed by the head with a nail puller. After this, it will be possible to pull the nails out of their homes. Here you can choose a thick wooden block as a support for the crowbar.
If you can't see the nail heads
Sometimes it is not possible to see the location of the nails on a wooden baseboard - in cases where they were puttied before painting.
It can be assumed that the nails are spaced 50-70 cm apart from each other, and the first one is most likely 10-20 cm from the corner of the wall. This is where you should try to find nails when solving the problem of how to remove the baseboard.
- First, you need to drive the crowbar under the baseboard 10-20 cm from the corner of the wall and slowly and carefully try to lift it.
- There is no point in paying attention to the putty falling off during manipulation - this process is inevitable, and it will need to be renewed later.
- A similar procedure continues with the remaining nails until the baseboard is completely removed.
Removing a wooden plinth screwed with self-tapping screws
Typically, the heads of the screws go deep into the wood, so you should look for them in the holes. But sometimes they can protrude above the surface, then they become even more noticeable.
Occasionally, the caps are masked with plastic plugs, which are also clearly visible. To dismantle the baseboard, simply unscrew the screws with a screwdriver or screwdriver. Careless craftsmen sometimes hammer screws into wood, then they need to be removed like nails.
Occasionally, there are skirting boards made from valuable types of wood that are fastened “hidden”, that is, a nail or screw is deeply recessed and masked on top with a wooden chip that is varnished. Chopiks can be found by their characteristic dark rim or other wood texture (in plinth material the wood is cut lengthwise, while in chopiks it is cut crosswise). Such expensive skirting boards are usually attached to the wall with screws or self-tapping screws, and to dismantle them you need to use a screwdriver with a suitable blade. But if such a rare product turns out to be nailed, then all that remains is to take up the crowbar again.
Removing MDF skirting boards
For fastening MDF skirting boards it is used mounting bracket or special latches. If the first option is used, then the plinth is mounted on top, but the latches must first be screwed to the wall and only after that the border itself must be fixed to them. To dismantle it, you need to use a wide spatula, which you need to insert from the bottom of the baseboard and carefully lift it up. In another option, you need to insert the spatula between the wall and the baseboard, and then pull it towards you. In both cases, the goal is to remove the baseboard from the latch.
Which method do you prefer to dismantle the baseboard, and why? Tell us about it in the comments - share your experience.