What You'll Need
Equipment / Tools
Utility knife
Wood wedge or scrap block
Pry bar
Finish hammer
Linesman's pliers or tongue-and-groove pliers
Instructions
Score the Paint
Trim is often times caulked or painted to the wall. Score the seam between the trim and the wall with a utility knife. This also helps to prevent peeling of the paint when the trim is pulled away.
Protect the Wall
Place a wood wedge, scrap block, or other kind of protective material against the wall where the leverage point for the pry bar will be resting. This will prevent the wall from getting dented. Thin pry bars are helpful when removing trim. The thinner the pry bar, the better.
Start at an End
Begin prying from either end of the trim, slipping the edge of the pry bar under the trim and prying against the wood wedge or block. Carefully pry outward, letting the finish nails slide through the holes in the trim or out of the wall support, as applicable.
Work Your Way Down
Once the end is loosened and partially pulled from the wall, move down a bit and continue prying. Repeat the same process all the way down the trim board. The goal is to gradually loosen the entire piece without bending it too much, which can break it. If necessary, loosen the trim all the way, then go back to your starting point and pry further to remove each section entirely free of the nails.
Switch to a thicker wedge or wood block as the trim comes away from the wall so you can continue to pry with the bar.
Remove or Pound in the Wall Nails
Once you have the trim piece removed, you can pull out protruding finish nails with a hammer or linesman’s pliers. You can also use a small pry bar or tongue-and-groove pliers, levering the tool against a wedge or block to protect the wall surface (it's also a good idea to use a block with a hammer). Alternatively, you can take the opposite tack and pound the finish nails flush to the wall with a hammer.
Remove All Nails From the Trim
If there are any nails still sticking out of the trim, because they pulled out of the wall, remove the nails by pulling them out through the backside of the trim. Place the trim face-down on a work surface, and hold it down it firmly with one hand. Grab the nail with a pair of linesman's pliers or tongue-and-groove pliers and pull it through the backside of the wood.
Sometimes it's possible to carefully hammer the nail back out through the front side, but often this ends up chipping the wood; pulling through the back side is safer.