Removing baseboards is simple. Removing baseboards that has had tile or hardwood floor laid in front of it is harder.

If you’re planning a renovation or makeover in a room in your home, such as the bathroom, you’re likely going to remove and replace the base molding.

This post will show you a few options for removing baseboards that are nailed into the wall behind tile. We recently ran into this issue when we did an accent wall with molding in our guest bathroom and replaced all the baseboards.

Properly removing base molding

The steps to remove baseboards are simple.

1. Use a knife to score through the caulk between quarter round and baseboards and between the baseboards and the wall.
2. Starting on one end, use a pry bar to leverage out the molding, working down the line.
3. Pull the quarter round and molding off the wall.

However, in many homes, builders will add the base molding to a wall before laying the flooring. In this case, it is more difficult to remove base molding without damaging the floors.

You need to create leverage to lift the baseboard up before pulling it out.

Here’s a few tips on how to remove baseboards from behind tile

1. Start by scoring the caulk on the quarter round and the baseboard
2. Use a small pry bar and hammer to wedge the pry bar between the quarter round and baseboard.
3. Leverage the quarter round off and remove first.
4. Repeat to create as much space as possible between the baseboard and the wall.
5. Drill a screw into the middle of the baseboard.
6. Using a scrap piece of wood for leverage, grab hold of the screw with the pry bar and leverage up.
7. Pull the baseboard up and out of the crack.

This will likely result in piece of molding breaking off and having to repeat several times down the line.

Removing baseboards from behind molding is definitely more difficult that just pulling it straight off the wall, but it’s simple with this hack!