Old Wainscoting Removal Guide for Emeryville Homes

Old wainscoting removal. Sounds simple, right? Well, it isn't all that difficult. You don't need to be a professional contractor or an experienced carpenter to do the job. But, you must exercise caution because it's all too easy to damage the wall behind it. And, it's also possible to damage the floor underneath. (At the very least, leave some unsightly marks on one or both.) So, let's take a look a how to go about old wainscoting removal.

About Wainscoting

First, let's begin with a bit about the material. Wainscoting actually dates as far back as the 1300’s, when the Dutch used it to protect the bottom half of plaster walls. (It has even had more applications through its existence.) Today, wainscoting remains a very ubiquitous home feature, offered in a variety of styles.

Many people choose to err on the side of security when opting for glue instead of nails to hang wood paneling. If they ever have to remove the paneling, however, they may end up regretting their conscientiousness. Not only is the paneling more difficult to remove, glue residue remains on the wall, and it won’t come off without at least some damage to the wall material. --San Francisco Gate

But it does eventually begin to show its age or could be damaged by a leak or electrical mishap. Whatever your reason, you have a room partially lined in wainscoting and it needs to go. So, you'll have to manually take it off the wall. And, that means using a few common hand tools.

Old Wainscoting Removal Guide for Emeryville Homes

First, you’ll need the following to remove wainscoting: pencil, pry bar, stud finder, utility knife, and thin wood shim. Gather these together, then empty the room of all furniture and decor. Then, cover the floors to catch the dirt and debris. Now, here's how to go about old wainscoting removal:

• Find the studs. If you can't readily see where it's nailed to the wall, you'll need a stud finder to locate the studs behind the wall. Then, you can more easily find the nails and begin to remove them.
• Remove the railing. Next, you'll have to loosen the panels from the top rails. Use a pry bar to remove the railing from the wainscoting but do this carefully to minimize or avoid damage to the walls. Put the rails in a neat pile out-of-the-way so they aren’t a tripping hazard.
• Pull of the baseboards. You'll need a pry bar again to pull away the baseboards. Exercise caution, especially if you have hardwood floors, so you don't accidently gouge them.
• Take the panels off the wall. With the top railing off and the baseboards off the wall, you can then simply pull the panels away from the wall to finish.

If you are doing some home improvement, be sure to phone 800-737-5923 or visit Pro Junk Dispatch.